working memory model Flashcards
What does the WMM explain?
How STM is organised and functions
What is the central executive?
Monitors incoming data
Makes decisions
Allocates slave systems to tasks
Limited processing capacity
What are the four components of the WMM?
Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Episodic buffet
What is the phonological loop?
Auditory information
Preserves order of info
What is the phonological loop divided into?
Phonological store - stores words you hear
Articulatory process - allows maintenance rehearsal, capacity is 2 seconds
What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?
Stores visual and spatial info
Capacity limited to 3/4 objects
What is the VSS divided into?
Visual cache - stores visual data
Inner scribe - records arrangement of objects in visual field
What is the episodic buffer?
Temporary store for info Recording events that are happening Storage component of CE Capacity of 4 chunks Links working memory to LTM Brings material from other areas into a single memory
Evaluation - clinical evidence
KF suffered brain damage
Poor STM for verbal but visual is fine
Phonological loop damaged
Evaluation - dual task performance
Baddeley - pps struggled more doing 2 visual tasks than a visual and verbal
Visual tasks use same slave system
Evaluation - lack of CE clarity
Doesn’t explain anything
Least understood component
WMM hasn’t been fully explained
Evaluation - word length effect
Baddeley - more difficult to remember list of long words
Word length effect
Finite space for rehearsal in articulatory process
WLE stops with articulatory suppression task - repetitive task eg sha la la la la
Supports idea that PL has limited capacity
Evaluation - brain scan studies
Braver - tasks during brain scan that involved CE
