Working memory model Flashcards
Describe the working memory model
According to Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory model, short-term memory is a multifaceted system.
The brain is made up of 3 main components: Central Executive, Visuospatial sketchpad, Phonological loop.
Differences between working memory model and multi-store model.
The working memory model explains short-term memory as having 3 components whereas the multi-store model illustrates STM as a single store.
One problem with the working memory model
Despite providing more detail of STM than the multi-store model, the working memory model has been criticized for being too simplistic and vague.
E.g. It is unclear what the central executive is, or it’s exact role in attention.
What is the central executive and the phonological loop?
Central executive- limited capacity, responsible for monitoring and coordinating the operation of the slave systems.
Phonological loop- limited capacity, deals with auditory information.
What is the visuospatial sketch pad and the episodic buffer.
Visuospatial sketchpad- eyes, visual= what things look like, spatial= relationships between things, limited capacity 3-4 objects.
Episodic buffer- CAME LATER, Baddeley added episodic buffer as he realised model needed a more general store, extra storage.
Evaluation of the working memory model, including research evidence.
Research that supports this model comes from Baddeley and Hitch. They conducted an experiment where participants were asked to perform two tasks at the same time- a digit span task which required them to repeat lists of numbers, and a verbal reasoning task which required them to answer true or false to various questions. Concluded from results suggested the verbal reasoning task uses central executive and the digital span task uses phonological loop.
