Working Memory Model (AO1)

Question 1

What is the central executive?

Answer 1

• key component in model
• makes decisions, directs attention to particular tasks, decides how the brain allocates ‘resources’ (slave systems) to different tasks

Question 2

Central Executive
- Duration
- Capacity
- Coding

Answer 2

limited duration - info arrives from the senses but cant hold it very long

very limited capacity

can process info in any modality

Question 3

What are the 2 slave systems?

Answer 3

visuo-spatial sketchpad

phonological loop

Question 4

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 4

stores visual and/or spatial information

Question 5

visuo-spatial capacity + duration?

Answer 5

limited capacity (3-4 objects)

limited duration

Question 6

subdivision study for v-s s?

Answer 6

Logie (1995) - suggested subdivision
-> visuo-cache (stores visual info)
-> inner scribe for spatial relations of objects we can see

Question 7

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 7

deals with auditory (sound) info + order of words/sounds

Question 8

phonological loop capacity + duration?

Answer 8

limited capacity (1.5-2 seconds of speech)

limited duration

Question 9

subdivision study for pl?

Answer 9

Baddeley (1986) - suggested subdivision
-> phonological store (stores words we hear)
-> articulatory process (stores words by subvocal repitition)

Question 10

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 10

• Baddeley (2000) added episodic buffer as he realised the model needed a more general store

Question 11

What does episodic buffer provide?

Answer 11

extra storage system for the central executive but with a limited capacity of abt 4 chunks

Question 12

What else does the episodic buffer do?

Answer 12

integrates info from the other 3 stores + links working memory to LTM

Question 13

Baddeley et al (1975a)
- Aim

Answer 13

to investigate the existence of a phonological loop in STM

Question 14

Baddeley et al (1975a)
- Procedure

Answer 14

ppts saw everyday words displayed quickly + then asked to write words in order

Question 15

Baddeley et al (1975a)
- Condition 1

Answer 15

list contained 5 one-syllable words
- tree, rat, dog

Question 16

Baddeley et al (1975a)
- Condition 2

Answer 16

list contained 5 polysyllabic words
- establishment, conjunction, secondary

Question 17

Baddeley et al (1975a)
- Findings

Answer 17

Baddeley found ppts recalled the shorter, one-syllable words much better
- called this word length effect

Question 18

Baddeley et al (1975b)
- Aim

Answer 18

to investigate the existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad in STM

Question 19

Baddeley et al (1975b)
- Procedure

Answer 19

ppts were asked to visualise a letter and describe the angles at each point of that letter at the same time as completing a visual tracking task

Question 20

Baddeley et al (1975b)
- Task 1

Answer 20

imagine a letter move around the letter and say YES when an angle falls on the time or bottom line

Question 21

Baddeley et al (1975b)
- Task 2

Answer 21

track the movement of a dot of light with a pointer

Question 22

Baddeley et al (1975b)
- Findings

Answer 22

found hard to complete the 2 tasks simultaneously as they were using 2 different slave systems