Working Memory Model Flashcards
Who proposed the Working Memory Model?
Baddeley and Hitch
Which store of memory does the WMM focus on?
STM
What can the STM be described as?
Complex, active ‘waiting stage’.
What are the four components of the WMM?
Central executive, episodic buffer, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad.
Central Executive
Oversees and prioritises any jobs to be done, directing the most attention to the most important tasks. Coordinates the actions of the other memory components. Provides a link with the LTM.
Slave System
Other memory components that are controlled by the central executive.
Phonological Loop
Auditory store for rehearsing sound based information.
Phonological Loop Duration
1-2 seconds.
What are the two parts of the phonological loop?
Phonological store, articulatory process/loop.
Phonological Store
The ‘inner ear’ that perceives sounds - particularly speech.
Articulatory Process/Loop
The ‘inner voice’ involved in speech production. Verbal rehearsal system, holding material until it is spoken.
Visuospatial Sketchpad
The ‘inner eye’ that holds visual and spatial information.
Visuospatial Sketchpad Capacity
3-4 objects.
What are the two parts of the visuospatial sketchpad?
Visual cache, inner scribe.
Visual Cache
Stores visual information images.
Inner Scribe
Records the arrangement of objects in the visual field.
Episodic Buffer
A temporary store for information integrating the visual, spatial, and verbal information processed by the other slave systems. Links the WMM to the LTM and other wider processes. Maintains a time sequence, it is the storage component of the central executive.
Episodic Buffer Capacity
4 chunks of information.
Baddeley and Hitch (1976) - Aim
To investigate if components of the WMM can be used simultaneously.
Baddeley and Hitch (1976) - Procedure
Participants were asked to perform two tasks at once - one involved verbal reasoning, one simply repeating digits/a word.
Baddeley and Hitch (1976) - Findings
Repeating digits was harder for the participants as both tasks involved the central executive.
Baddeley and Hitch (1976) - Conclusion
The WMM has a limited capacity and performance suffers when two tasks require the same component.
Patient KF (1970)
A case study into a brain damage sufferer.
Patient KF (1970) - Findings
He could process visual information, and meaningful acoustic information, and his LTM was not impaired. He struggled to process acoustic information in the form of letters and numbers, and his STM was severely damaged.
Patient KF (1970) - Conclusion
Showed his brain damage was restricted to his phonological loop, supporting the WMM.
Bunge et al. (2000) - Aim
To see which parts of the brain were most active when participants were performing a single task, or multiple tasks at once.
Bunge et al. (2000) - Procedure
Used an MRI scanner to examine brain activity.
Bunge et al. (2000) - Findings
There was significantly more brain activity when two tasks were being performed at once.
Bunge et al. (2000) - Conclusion
There is an increased demand for attention when performing two tasks simultaneously. This supports the WMM, specifically the idea that there are four different components. Identified that the central executive can be found in the pre-frontal cortex.
Baddeley et al. (1975) - Aim
To provide evidence for the existence of the phonological loop.
Baddeley et al. (1975) - Procedure
Participants were told to remember words, some were single syllabic, other multi-syllabic. They were then asked to remember words when given an interference task to prevent rehearsal - counting backwards in threes.
Baddeley et al. (1975) - Findings
Participants were more competent at recalling single syllable words. However, when interference tasks were used, there was little difference in the effect that word length caused.
Baddeley et al. (1975) - Conclusion
The word length effect does occur, but not when interference tasks are used. This provides strong evidence for the phonological loop, as participants could not use the component to remember the words, just the interference task.
Strengths of the WMM
- Baddeley + Hitch (1976), supporting evidence of multiple components, and limited capacity.
- Bunge et al., evidence for multiple components, and location of central executive.
- Baddeley (1975), supports the existence of the phonological loop.
- Patient KF (1970), shows there are separate stores.
Limitations of the WMM
- Limited testability, as case studies are not always reliable, and generalisable.
- Opposing theorists say that the central executive may have subsystems, so its role is not fully explained.
- Testability issues in that a lot of research lacks mundane realism.
- Views the LTM as a passive store.
