memory - working memory model

Question 1

intro - AO1

Answer 1

• baddeley and hitch (1974)
• proposed model of how STM works
• suggests STM has several stores
• connected but work independently

Answer 2

• attentional process
• decides what/when things need to be done
• delegates tasks to slave systems accordingly
• can code any type of information
• takes over most demanding tasks
• can become overloaded with new tasks that require concentration
• due to limited capacity

Question 3

phonological loop - AO1

Answer 3

• information from CE passes into PL
• baddley divided PL into 2 stores
  1. articulatory loop - like an inner voice
• silently rehearses words
  seen/heard
• to keep them in memory (maintenance rehearsal)
  2. phonological store - like an inner ear
• stores word we hear to keep them in memory
• limited capacity
• codes acoustically

Question 4

visuospatial sketchpad - AO1

Answer 4

• responsible for setting up mental images
• use when planning spatial task
• e.g. giving directions
• temporarily stores visual and spatial information

Logie 1995
divided PL into two sections
1. inner scribe
- records arrangement of objects in visual field
2. visual cache
- stores visual data

codes visually
limited capacity

Question 5

episodic buffer - AO1

Answer 5

• later store
• added by baddeley in 2000
• collects and combines info from CE, PL, VSS
• to record event
• used to transfer info from STM to LTM
• used to retrieve info from LTM
• limited capacity (4 chunks)
• can code any type of info

Question 6

research to support - AO3
shallice and warrington 1970
patient KF

Answer 6

P - RTS
- shallice and warrington
- patient KF
- suffered with amnesia

E - STM recall was better when digits were read himself compared to when digits were read aloud

E - suggests there are different stores of STM
- one to process visual info
- one to process auditory info

L - PL damaged
- VSS intact

Question 7

research to support - AO3
shallice and warrington 1970
patient KF

DISCUSSION

Answer 7

P - RTS can be criticised
- low population validity
- case study

E - KF = amnesia
- unusual illness
- difficult to generalise to wider population

E - memories may work differently

L - limits RTS that KF provides for working memory model

Question 8

research to support - AO3
dual task performance

Answer 8

P - research to support
- dual task performance
- baddeley 1975

E - found that there was more difficulty performing 2 visual tasks simultaneously (mentally imagining letter F and moving it around the screen and using a pointer to follow an image on screen)
- compared to when performing 2 visual tasks separately and visual task/verbal task e.g. saying word ‘the’ repeatedly

E - suggests there are separate slave systems
- when performing 2 visual simultaneously competing for limited capacity of VSS
- when performing visual/verbal task delegated to separate slave systems
- no competition for capacity

L - supports slave systems have limited capacity
- increases credibility of WMM
- performance is not reduced

Question 9

weakness - AO3
much of research done on PL and VSS

Answer 9

P - despite empirical research
- much done on PL and VSS

E - lack of clarity on role of CE
- WMM suggets CE = attentional process delegates tasks

E - other psychologists suggest CE may have several components

L - casts doubt on WMM