Working Memory Model

Question 1

What is the central executive?

Answer 1

‘Attention’, takes a supervisory role, allocates tasks to slave systems

Question 2

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 2

• Audio information, consists of:
• Phonological store, stores audio information
• Articulatory process, allows for maintenance rehearsal to keep info within the short term memory
• Capacity: around 2 seconds worth of speech

Question 3

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 3

• Visual information, consists of:
• Visual cache, stores visual inforation
• Inner scribe, records arrangement of objects
• Capacity: 3 or 4 objects

Question 4

What research supports the working memory model?

Answer 4

• Shallice & Warrington (1970), anterograde amnesia patient had damage to audio processing but not visual
• Baddeley et al. (1975), participants were able to dual task an audio and visual task, but not two visual tasks or two audio tasks (separate capacities)

Question 5

What are the limitations of the working memory model?

Answer 5

• Studying brain damage patients means extraneous variables cannot be controlled
• Lack of clarity over the central executive and its role