Working Memory Model Flashcards
What does WMM explain?
STM Theory
Central executive
Manages two “slave systems”.
Baddeley & Hitch describe the CE as being like a “little man” (“homunculus”) inside your head, organising your memories.
The CE itself doesn’t handle memories but it allocates them to the slave systems. It has no storage
It pays attention and switches tasks
It retrieves information the 5 senses or from LTM and assigns it to the Loop or the VSSP for processing.
It has non-specific modality – it can process sight, sound or any of the 5 senses.
Phonological loop
Deals with sound/acoustic information
Has limited storage
The phonological loop seems to be split into two sub-systems: an Articulatory loop (inner voice)- which voices information you rehearsing and a Primary Acoustic Store which just holds on to the memory of sound.
The Articulatory Loop (or Process) engages in something called “subvocalising” which is that mental “talking to yourself” that goes on in your head. It’s similar to the Rehearsal Loop in the Multi Store Model.
VSSP
Visuo Spatial Sketchpad or “inner eye” and your memory of imagery.
Visual cache+ sketch pad= limited capacity
+supporting: corsi block tapping task
This involved participants being required to recall a sequence of dots appearing on a screen. It showed there was a limited capacity to the VSSP as participants did worse as the number of dots increased.
+supporting: dual tasks
tasks are much easier when they are using the separate capacities of the two slave systems. For example, Baddeley found that participants found it difficult to describe the angles of the letter “F” whilst simultaneously drawing it with their finger. This demonstrates how the VSSP becomes full. However, when asked to perform a visual and verbal task at the same time participants performed much better. (the same as Robbins study of chess)
+other theories
Develops the initial research of MSM and add more detail to the theory and how STM works
+Usefulness
Helps are understanding of education and EWT
Explains alzheimers
-central executive
Most research focuses on the two slave systems and not much is known about the function of the central executive. It is difficult to scientifically test its role in memory.
-individual difference
This theory fails to explain why some people may have better memories than others. Deterministic.
-usefulness
This theory doesn’t have a lot of real life application and most of the studies which it is based on are artificial and lab based. E.g. Baddeley.
Episodic buffer
Added in 2000
LTM link
Let’s the VSSP and Phonological loop talk to each other
Who?
Baddeley and hitch
However reductionist
It doesn’t go into depth about the LTM that MSM does making it more reductionist.
Conflicting evidence
Parkin conducted a brain scan looking for evidence of the CE but could not find any special areas of activity when conducting CE tasks.
