Working Memory Model Of Memory

Question 1

What are the parts of the working memory model?

Answer 1

Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Episodic Buffer

Question 2

Who theorised the working memory model?

Answer 2

Baddeley & Hitch (1974)

Question 3

What is the function of the central executive?

Answer 3

Directs attention to incoming data, makes decisions & allocates slave systems to tasks

Question 4

What is the function of the phonological loop?

Answer 4

Deals with auditory info, acoustic coding & preserves order in which info arrives

Subdivided into:
Phonological store - stores words you hear
Articulatory process - allows maintenance rehearsal (capacity of 2 secs)

Question 5

What is the definition of maintenance rehearsal?

Answer 5

Repeating sounds/words in ‘loop’ to keep them in working memory while they’re needed

Question 6

What is the definition of Visio-Spatial Sketchpad?

Answer 6

Stores visual and/or spatial info when required
E.g. visualising house to work out number of windows

Logie (1995) subdivided it into:
Visual cache - stores visual data
Inner scribe - records arrangement of objects in visual field

Question 7

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 7

Added to model by Baddeley in 2000
Temporary store for info, integrating visual, spatial & verbal info
Processed by other stores & maintaining sense of time sequencing - recording events happening
Links working memory to LTM & wider cognitive processes, e.g. perception
PLAT

Question 8

Evaluate the Working Memory Model

Answer 8

Both - Clinical evidence support
E.g. Shalice & Warrington (1970) case study on KF
KF had brain damage & poor STM ability for verbal info, but could process visual info normally
Ex - supports existence of separate visual & acoustic store, as it suggests phonological loop had been damaged leaving other areas of memory intact
HOWEVER - unreliable as sample sizes from brain-damaged patients is very small & have had traumatic experiences

Strength - Dual task performance
E.g. Baddeley (1975) showed participants had more difficulty doing 2 visual tasks than doing verbal & visual task at same time. This is because they were working the same slave system.
Ex- Means there’s separate slave system that processes visual input

Limitation - lack of clarity over central executive
E.g. cognitive psychologists suggest this component of WMM is unsatisfactory & doesn’t explain anything. Needs more research & specified than just being ‘attention’
Ex- means WMM can’t be fully explained