Working Memory Model (WMM)

Question 1

Who proposed the WMM?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch (1974).

Question 2

What are the four main components of the WMM?

Answer 2

• Central Executive
• Phonological Loop
• Visuospatial Sketchpad
• Episodic Buffer

Question 3

What is the role of the Central Executive?

Answer 3

It acts as the supervisory component and directs attention to incoming information and delegates it to its 3 slave systems.
It also starts off the rehearsal process.

Question 4

What information does the CE code?

Answer 4

Information of any modality.

Question 5

What is the capacity of the CE?

Answer 5

No capacity/ Limited capacity.

Question 6

What is the role of the Phonological Loop?

Answer 6

Acts as temporary storage for acoustic information.

Also preserves order in which information arrives.

Question 7

What are the two sub-components that the PL splits into?

Answer 7

• Phonological Store

- Articulatory Process

Question 8

What is the Phonological Store responsible for?

Answer 8

Speech perception (inner ear).

Question 9

What is the Articulatory Process responsible for?

Answer 9

Speech production (inner voice).

Question 10

What information does the PL code?

Answer 10

Acoustic/auditory.

Question 11

What is the capacity of the PL?

Answer 11

Limited capacity.

Question 12

What is the role of the Visuospatial Sketchpad

Answer 12

In charge of our visual cache (colour perception) as well as spacial relationships.

Question 13

What information does the VSS code?

Answer 13

Visual/spatial.

Question 14

What is the capacity of the VSS?

Answer 14

Limited capacity of 3-4 objects.

Question 15

When was the Episodic Buffer introduced?

Answer 15

2000.

Question 16

What is the role of the Episodic Buffer?

Answer 16

It integrates information between all of the components.

Maintains a sense of time sequencing which allows it to record events as single memories.

Question 17

What type of information does the Episodic Buffer code?

Answer 17

Information from any modality.

Question 18

What is the capacity of the Episodic Buffer?

Answer 18

A limited capacity.

Question 19

What are the 6 evaluation points for WMM?

Answer 19

\+ KF Case Study (non-unitary STM).
\+ Baddeley et al, 1975 (dual-task research).
\+ Brain scan evidence.
\+ Real-life applications.
- Little info about central executive.
- Berz, 1995 (musical memory).