Working Memory Model

Question 1

What is the working memory model?

Answer 1

An explanation of the STM

Question 2

What is the central executive?

Answer 2

The main portion of the model that drives the whole system, monitors incoming data and allocates it to the two ‘slave systems’

Question 3

Why does the central executive allocate information to other systems?

Answer 3

It has a limited capacity

Question 4

What are the two main sub systems of the Central Executive?

Answer 4

Phonological loop & visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 5

What does the phonological loop do?

Answer 5

Deals with auditory information and preserves its order

Question 6

What is the phonological loop subdivided into?

Answer 6

Phonological store (words you hear)
Articularly process (allows maintenance rehearsal/inner voice)

Question 7

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad for?

Answer 7

Stores visual/spatial information

Question 8

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad subdivided into?

Answer 8

the visual cache and the inner scribe

Question 9

what is the inner scribe for

Answer 9

deals with spatial relations by encoding the arrangements of objects in the visual field

Question 10

what is the visual cache for

Answer 10

stores visual data

Question 11

what is the episodic buffer

Answer 11

provides a temporary store and links with LTM

Question 12

what is the most recent addition to the WMM

Answer 12

episodic buffer

Question 13

what is one limitation of the WMM

Answer 13

• the CE is only vaguely defined and does not explain the CE properly
• idea of one CE is false, may be several

Question 14

What is a strength of the WMM?

Answer 14

It can explain findings such as the word length effect and partial memory difficulties

Question 15

Why is the WMM better than the MSM?

Answer 15

• Distinguishes between different stores and processes within STM
• Expands MSM by further defining separate stores

Question 16

What does the phonological store do?

Answer 16

Allows acoustically coded items to be stored

Question 17

What does the articulatory process do?

Answer 17

Allows for maintenance rehearsal

Question 18

What are 4 strengths of the WMM?

Answer 18

• Research support from Hitch and Baddely’s study
• Evidence for the four components
• Explanatory power
• Comparison with the MSM

Question 19

What was Hitch and Baddelys study?

Answer 19

A lab experiment investigating whether participants could use different components of the working memory model at one time

Question 20

What were participants asked to do in Hitch and Baddelys study?

Answer 20

Perform two tasks at the same time, one task requiring them to repeat a list of numbers, the other a verbal reasoning task

Question 21

What was found in Hitch and Baddelys study?

Answer 21

Participants had slower performance on the verbal reasoning task (uses only the CE) and a second task (using CE and AL) than a task involving the articulatory loop alone

Question 22

How does Hitch and Baddelys study support the WMM?

Answer 22

It shows that each component has a limited capacity, as a task involving the same component is difficult, therefore supporting the WMM

Question 23

What provides evidence supporting the central executive?

Answer 23

FMRI scans showing more activation is certain parts of the brain when participants had a dual-task activity rather than a single task

Question 24

How do FMRI scans support the WMM?

Answer 24

They provide evidence for the central executive as it reflects increase attentional demands

Question 25

What provides evidence supporting the phonological loop?

Answer 25

The ‘word length effect’: participants found it easier to remember shorter words than longer, but when they were given an articulatory suppression task, participants could not remember shorter words better so word length effect disappeared

Question 26

How does the WMM provide explanatory power?

Answer 26

It can explain findings such as the ‘word length effect’ and partial memory difficulties such as the case study of KF

Question 27

How does the WMM compare with the MSM?

Answer 27

The model expands the MSM by offering a better account of the STM and further defining the separate stores

Question 28

What are two limitations of the WMM?

Answer 28

• CE is only vaguely defined

- Evidentiary support from brain damaged patients may not be informative as we cannot make before and after comparisons

Question 29

Why is the CE only being vaguely defined a limitation?

Answer 29

It is the most important component as it drives the whole system, yet critics believe it is not explained properly