Working Memory Model

Question 1

Working memory model: (WMM)

Answer 1

A representation of STM. It suggests that STM is a dynamic processor of different types information using sub-units coordinated by a central decision making system.

Question 2

Central executive: (CE) D

Answer 2

The component of the WMM that co-ordinates the activities of the 3 subsystems in memory. It also allocates processing resources to those activities.

Question 3

Phonological loop: (PL) D

Answer 3

The component of the WMM that processes information in terms of sound. This includes both written and spoken material. It’s divided into the phonoloigcal store and the articulatory process.

Question 4

Visuo-spatial sketchpad: (VSS) D

Answer 4

The component of the WMM that processes visual and spatial information in a mental space often called the ‘inner eye.’

Question 5

Episodic buffer: (EB) D

Answer 5

The component of the WMM that brings together material from the other subsystems into a single memory rather than separate strands. It provides a bridge between working memory and long-term memory.

Question 6

CE:

Answer 6

1. Essentially an attentional process that monitors incoming data, makes decisions and allocates slave systems to tasks.
2. The slave systems are described below. The central executive has very limited processing capacity.

Question 7

PL:

Answer 7

1. One of the slave systems is the phonological loop and it deals with auditory information (acoustic) and preserves the order in which the information arrives.
2. Subdivided into the phonological store, which stores the words you hear.
3. The articulatory process which allows maintenance rehearsal.
4. The capacity of this ‘loop’ is believed to be 2 seconds worth of what you say.

Question 8

VSS:

Answer 8

1.Second slave system is the visuo-spatial sketchpad and stores visual and or spatial information.
2. It also has a limited capacity to (Baddeley 2003) 3 or 4 objects.
3. Logie (1995) subdivided the VSS into the visual cache (stores visual data). Inner scribes (records the arrangement of objects in the visual field).

Question 9

EB:

Answer 9

1. Third slave system and was added to the model by Baddeley in 2000.
2. It is a temporary store for information integrating the visual, spatial and verbal information processed by other stores and maintaining a sense of time sequencing.
3. It can be seen as the storage component of the central executive and has a limited capacity of about 4 chunks (Baddeley 2012).
4. Links working memory to LTM and wider cognitive processes such as perception.

Question 10

E: Clinical Evidence

Answer 10

1. Support for the WMM comes Shallice and Warrington’s (1970) case study of patient KF who had suffered brain damage.
2. After this, KF had poor STM ability for verbal information but could process visual information visually.
3. This suggest that his PL had been damaged leaving the other areas of memory intact.
4. Supports the existence of a separate visual and acoustic store.
5. However, evidence from brain-damaged patients may not be reliable because it concerns unique cases with patients who had traumatic experiences.

Question 11

E: Dual Task Performance

Answer 11

1. Studies of DTP support the separate existence of the VSS.
2. Baddeley et al. (1975) showed that pps had more difficulty doing 2 visual tasks than doing both a visual and verbal task at the same time.
3. This is because both visual tasks compete for the same slave system whereas, when doing a verbal and visual task simultaneously, there is no competition.
4. There’s a separate slave system that processes visual input.

Question 12

E: Lack of clarity over the CE

Answer 12

1. Cognitive psychologists suggest that his component of the WMM is unsatisfactory and doesn’t explain much.
2. Baddeley acknowledge that the CE is ‘the least understood component of working memory’ (Baddeley,2003).
3. The CE needs to be more clearly specified than being simply ‘attention.’ May have several components.
4. WMM not fully explained.