Working memory model

Question 1

What is the working memory model?

Answer 1

• Proposed as replacement of MSM’s idea of single STM store
• Comprises of a system that actively processes and stores information instead of a temporary store for transferring information

Question 2

What is the central executive?

Answer 2

• Processes information in all sensory forms (modality specific)
• Directs information to model’s slave systems (central executive has a limited capacity)
• Controls division and allocation of attention to tasks

Question 3

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 3

• Controlled by central executive
• Deals with auditory information (coded acoustically)
• Subdivided into phonological store and articulatory process
• Phonological store stores words you hear from speech
• Articulatory process allows for maintenance rehearsal to keep in working memory while they are needed
• Capacity is limited to what can be said in seconds

Question 4

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 4

• Controlled by central executive
• Processes and stores visual information (what they look like) and spatial information (where they are in environment)
• Coded visually
• Limited to 3-4 objects
• Subdivided into visual cache and inner scribe
• Visual cache stores visual information (form and colour)
• Inner scribe records arrangement of objects in visual field (where they are)

Question 5

What is episodic buffer?

Answer 5

• General storage space for all types of sensory information
• Integrates information from PL and VSS to form whole ‘episodes’ of information
• Limited capacity of 4 chunks of information

Question 6

Outline one strength of working memory model

Answer 6

• Advanced MSM’s way of explaining storage and processing of memory
• Explained STM is not unitary store and instead comprises of multiple components
• Explained how STM is more active process instead of a passive ‘stopping off station’ before memories enter LTM as explained in MSM
• Strength because advanced our understanding of memory which has in turn led to practical applications
• E.g texting while driving (both tasks completed by VSS) now banned because of increased likelihood of car accidents resulting from overloading VSS
• Adds credibility to claims of WMM

Question 7

Outline one limitation of working memory model

Answer 7

• Central executive is vague and untestable
• E.g Baddeley recognised CE most important part of WMM but is least understood component of WMM
• Because little is known about how CE works like how it decides on allocating attention to different slave systems
• Limitation because means WMM is yet to be fully explained
• Questions credibility of WMM as complete model of working memory

Question 8

Outline final strength of working memory model

Answer 8

• Idea of central executive received supporting evidence
• E.g D’esposito et al used FMRI to scan participant’s brains when they were completing verbal and spatial tasks either separately or simultaneously
• Found that prefrontal cortex was activated when they were completed simultaneously but not separately
• Research found greater activity in prefrontal cortex as task became more difficult
• Strength because suggests CE (which processes and divides attention between tasks) exists and localised to prefrontal cortex
• Therefor supports existence of CE and adds validity to WMM