Working Memory Model

Question 1

the working memory model (WMM)

3

Answer 1

described by Baddeley and Hitch (1974)

an explanation of short term memory (which is memory used for immediate tasks) in terms of a number of different stores

x4 features...
• central executive
• phonological loop
• visuo-spatial sketchpad 
• episodic buffer

Question 2

central executive

5

Answer 2

data arrives to the central executive from the senses or the LTM

coordinates and monitors all other mental functions in working memory

directs attention to particular tasks and determines how the brain’s resources are allocated to tasks

the resources are the 3 slave systems (which the CE organises); episodic buffer, visuo-spatial sketchpad and the phonological loop

limited capacity so cannot attend to too many things at once and has no capacity for storage

Question 3

phonological loop

5

Answer 3

processes and temporarily stores auditory information

limited capacity

further subdivided into the…..

• phonological store — aka the inner ear, stores the words you hear
• the articulatory process — aka the inner voice, used for words that are seen or heard, these words are silently repeated/looped which is a form of maintenance rehearsal

Question 4

visuo-spatial sketchpad

5

Answer 4

used to plan spatial tasks such as moving from one room to another

processes and temporarily stores visual information about what things look like and spatial information about the physical relationship between things

Logie (1995) suggested that the VSS can be divided into….

• a visual cache — stores information about visual items such as colour
• an inner scribe — stores the arrangement of objects in the visual field

Question 5

episodic buffer

5

Answer 5

added in 2000 as a general store and extra storage system

because the CE has no storage capacity while the PL and VSS only process and temporarily store specific kinds of information

receives information from the CE, PL and VSS, temporarily storing and then integrating it

maintains a sense of time sequencing and records events that are happening

sends information to the LTM

Question 6

x3 evaluation points

Answer 6

support from case studies

evidence from brain damaged patients

Baddeley provides evidence for the CE

Question 7

EVALUATION
support from case studies

4

Answer 7

supported by case studies such as KF, whose short term forgetting of auditory information was much greater than that of visual stimuli

his auditory problems were limited to verbal material such as letters and digits but not meaningful sounds such as a phone ringing

his brain damage seemed to be restricted only to the phonological loop, which supports the existence of the PL as a separate store in working memory — a key concept of the WMM

therefore, the WMM can claim reliability due to supporting case studies and can be said to provide an accurate representation of working memory

Question 8

EVALUATION 
case studies (make it a double — evidence from brain damaged patients) 

6

Answer 8

much of the support for the WMM comes from studies of brain damaged patients

however, the findings from these studies may not be valid evidence

for example, the brain injury they have experienced is very traumatic which may itself change the behaviour of a person, causing them to perform worse on certain tasks as they may have trouble paying attention

therefore, evidence from such patients may not accurately explain the working memory in every person because findings may simply be due to the brain damage itself

this means that these studies should be viewed with caution when being used to support the WMM

and overall, the WMM may be limited in its ability to explain working memory as much of the research supporting it seems to lack validity

Question 9

EVALUATION
support from Baddeley

5

Answer 9

Baddeley provided evidence for the existence of the central executive through his dual task research

participants were given one task to occupy the CE and the other task either involved the AL or both the CE and AL

found that task 1 was completed slower when both the CE and AL were involved

this demonstrates the dual task performance effect which essentially means that when you do two things at the same time and they are both visual tasks, you will perform them less well than if you were to do them separately

this suggests that that the central executive is one of the components involved in working memory