Working Memory Model Flashcards
AO1: Intro WMM
Baddeley and Hitch proposed the Working Memory Model as an explanation of how the STM works. They proposed that the STM was not a unitary store (like the MSM predicts), but several different stores, which are all connected but work independently as an active processor. It views memory as active rather than passive, in contrast to the multi-store model.
AO1: WMM
The central executive is an attentional process that monitors incoming data and delegates tasks accordingly to slave systems. It takes over the most demanding tasks. New tasks will overload it as it has a very limited capacity. It codes any type of information.
Auditory information is passed to the phonological loop. It is split into two further stores. The phonological store, stores words we hear whereas the articulatory loop silently repeats words we hear/see to keep them in memory (Maintenance rehearsal). It has a limited capacity and codes acoustically.
Visual information is passed to the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Its responsible for mental images and spatial tasks. It is split into two further stores. The visual cache which stores visual data and the inner scribe which records the arrangement of objects. It codes visually and has a limited capacity.
The episodic buffer collects and combines information from the CE, PL and VSS to record an event and transfers information to the long term memory.
AO3: Evaluations
1) PEEL
2) Discussion
3) PEEL *
1) RTS Shallice and Warrington - Patient KF
2) Discussion: Low population validity
3) Dual task performance
AO3: Patient KF
Research to support the WMM was conducted by Shallice and Warrington on patient KF, who suffered with amnesia. They found that KF’s recall in STM for digits was very poor when the digits were read aloud to him, but recall was much better when KF could visually see the digits himself. This supports the WMM BECAUSE it suggests that there must be different systems within the STM, one to process visual information (VSS) and one to process auditory information (PL), as the PL was damaged but the VSS intact. Therefore, increasing the validity of the working memory model.
AO3: Discussion - Low population validity
However, critics would argue that the case study to support the WMM is flawed, as it has low population validity. The research was a case study of just one person, patient KF, who has an unusual illness involving damage to the brain. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise the findings that STM has several systems to the wider population, as their STM may operate differently. Thus, reducing the level of support the research can provide for the working memory model of memory.
AO3: Dual task performance
Research to support the WMM comes from dual task performance research. Baddeley et al gave participants two visual tasks to complete at the same time, followed by one visual and one verbal task to complete at the same time. He found that participants had more difficulty when performing two visual tasks compared to when they completed a visual task (VSS) alongside a verbal task (PL). This supports WMM because it shows there are separate slave systems, each with a limited capacity that will get overloaded by competing tasks. Therefore, increasing the validity of the WMM as a model of memory.
