Working Memory Model

Question 1

Who created the WMM?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch, 1974

Question 2

What are the 4 main components?

Answer 2

Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spatial sketch pad
Episodic buffer

Question 3

What is the 5th component?

Answer 3

Visuo-Cache: proposed by Logie

Question 4

Explain the central executive.

Answer 4

• monitors and assigns the slave systems (phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad) to give attention
• in charge of problem solving
• has a limited capacity

Question 5

What are the subsystems of the phonological loop?

Answer 5

• phonological store

- articulatory control

Question 6

Explain the phonological store.

Answer 6

• 2 second duration
• holds auditory memory traces
• referred to as the inner ear

Question 7

Explain the articulatory control.

Answer 7

• referred to as the inner voice

- processes and sustains word order through repetition

Question 8

What are the 3 aspects of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 8

• visual
• spatial
• kinesthetic (tactile)

Question 9

Explain the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

Answer 9

• limited capacity (3/4 items)

- holds visual and spatial information, e.g. doing a jigsaw

Question 10

Explain the episodic buffer.

Answer 10

• general storage, for extra memories
• integrates information from all slave systems
• passes info between STM and LTM
• forms episodic memories

Question 11

What is dual tasking?

Answer 11

Doing 2 tasks that both involve the same slave system, e.g. listening to music and watching TV

Question 12

AO3: Strengths

Answer 12

P: Supporting evidence from KF
E: Had impaired STM after motorbike accident
E: No recollection of verbal information, unaffected visual attention
L: Supports the idea of separate memory stores

P: Application
E: Theory can be used to help dementia patients
E: A quiet environment to do necessary tasks, so background noise doesn’t confuse them (dual task)
L: Findings are useful and applicable to a real-life context

Question 13

AO3: Weaknesses

Answer 13

P: Evidence lacks ecological validity
E: Baddeley used word lists to test participants
E: Not a natural or realistic task, also occurred in lab conditions
L: Not a demonstration of how memory works naturally, so lacks eco. validity

P: Doesn’t explain everything
E: Central exec. function is not known fully, even though it’s one of the most important components
E: Untested capacity, unclear why or how it functions, but we know about others (e.g. articulatory loop, rehearsal of info to remember fully)
L: Limits depth and detail, as doesn’t explain fully