Working Memory Model (Bklt 3)

Question 1

Who came up with the working memory model?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch

Question 2

Why did they come up with this if the multi-store model already existed?

Answer 2

MSM was too simplistic

Question 3

What are the four main components of the WMM?

Answer 3

• Central executive
• Phonological loop
• Visuo-spatial sketchpad
• Episodic buffer

Question 4

What is the role of the central executive?

Answer 4

To co-ordinate other ‘slave systems’

Question 5

The central executive is “modality free”, what does this mean?

Answer 5

It can process info in any mode (e.g. acousitc, iconic, etc.)

Question 6

What is the coding and capacity in the phonological loop?

Answer 6

• Acoustic

- Limited capacity of around 2 seconds

Question 7

What are the two ‘sub-structures’ within the phonological loop?

Answer 7

• Phonological store aka. inner ear, holds words (e.g. to comprehend a sentence
• Articulatory rehearsal system aka. inner voice. Maintenance rehearsal of words that are heard/seen (silently repeated and kept in WM until needed)

Question 8

What are the two components of the visuo-spatial sketchpad (the inner eye) and what do they do?

Answer 8

• Visual component stores+ processes info to do with the appearance of something (e.g. shape and colour)
• Spatial component stores+ processes infor about the arrangement of objects (where they are)

Question 9

Does the central executive have any capacity for storage?

Answer 9

No, the central executive has no storage capacity

Question 10

What is the coding and capacity in the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 10

• Visual (iconic)

- 3 to 4 objects

Question 11

What is the role of the episodic buffer?

Answer 11

• To put together the info from other slave systems

- To interact with the LTM

Question 12

What is the coding and capacity of the episodic buffer?

Answer 12

Acoustic, visual, etc.

About 4 chunks of information

Question 13

How would the episodic buffer help to recall what someone sounds like?

Answer 13

• You would retrieve visual and acoustic information

- Stored and processed in the episodic buffer, ready for the central exec to use

Question 14

Give 2 strengths of the WMM

Answer 14

+ Supporting evidence, case study showed bits of STM= impaired, others= intact. When KF was read to= poor recall. When reading himself=good recall.
+ Other evidence shows if ppt uses same component for 2 different tasks=> poor performance. Evidence for limited capacity

Question 15

Give two weaknesses of the WMM

Answer 15

• Some of main pieces of evidence come from case studies=> lacks population v.
• Central exec. considered most important but v little research. Weak understanding as WMM hasn’t been fully explained