working memory model Flashcards
what is the working memory model?
an explanation of how short-term memory is organised and how it functions
what does the working memory model consist of?
- central executive
- phonological loop
- visuo-spatial sketchpad
- episodic buffer
what is the central executive?
the central executive is an ATTENTIONAL PROCESS that has a supervisor role.
it focuses, divides and switches our limited attention between the slave systems
it makes decisions and allocates tasks to slave systems.
it has very limited processing capacity and does not store information
what is the phonological loop?
it deals with auditory information and is subdivided into:
- the articulatory processes - which allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating sounds to keep them while needed)
- the phonological loop - stores auditory information
what is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?
it can temporarily store visual and spatial information when required.
it has a limited capacity and is subdivided into:
- the visual cache - which stores visual data
- the inner scribe - records the arrangement of objects in the visual field
what is the episodic buffer?
a later addition, it is a temporary store that integrates the acoustic, visual and spatial information processed by other subsystems.
- it maintains a sense of time sequencing
- it has a limited capacity of 4 chunks
what is a strength of the working memory model?
it is supported by dual-task performance studies
- Baddeley et al. (1975) found that when ppts performed a visual and verbal task together (dual-task), performance on each was no worse than when they carried them out separately.
but when they performed two visual tasks together, performance on both declined significantly.
= when the same slave system is being used there is competition.
what is a weakness of the working memory model?
the central executive is an unsatisfactory component and doesn’t explain anything.
- the central executive needs to be more clearly specified than just attention
- some researchers believe that it consists of separate subcomponents (e.g. a conscious and unconscious part)
what is the application of the working memory model?
it has been applied to understanding more about the nature of amnesia.
- Shallice and Warrington (1970) conducted a case study of KF who had amnesia after a brain injury.
he had poor short -term memory for auditory but could process visual information fine.
what is the competing argument from the application?
brain injured patients are unique individuals who are not necessarily generalisable
- case studies are difficult to replicate and we cannot be sure that all findings are valid.
