Working Memory Model

• Working Memory Model: Baddeley and Hitch proposed model to give a better understanding of STM/ emphasises active processing that happens rather than seeing it as one single store (like MSM). Is a model of STM only. Did it because if you do two visual things it's harder than separately and if you do visual and verbal tasks it's fine, WHY?
• Central Executive: Limited capacity - has to give tasks and co-ordinate ones to give out to slave systems. Is the 'boss'.
• Visuo-spatial Sketchpad: Deals with visual info, like shape, size, colour (anything seen).

  Spatial is how we estimate space between objects, e.g. parking.

  Limited capacity.

  'Inner Eye'.
• Episodic Buffer: Integrates info into single 'episode'. Added later because realised there needed to be a general store space, is an extra storage area and integrates info from the other 3 (and LTM).
• Phonological Loop: Limited capacity, deals with verbal and acoustic info.

  Phonological store = 'inner ear', what you hear, holds it, like in a convo.

  Articulatory control system = 'inner voice', used for words that are heard or seen which are silently repeated (looped), an inner voice used for completing maintenance rehearsal.
• Main Strength: Massive improvement of MSM as it doesn't see STM as a single store and there is evidence for this - fMRI scans show existence of different areas in brain relating to different parts of STM. Supported by Bunge's research.
• Bunge Study: Used brain scans to show different parts of brain are active when verbal or visual tasks are being undertaken. Provided biological evidence for the model's 3 components (different parts active at different times).
• KF: Could remember visual stimulus in STM but not verbal. This is evidence that there are separate stores in STM and his brain damage is restricted to the phonological loop. If there was one store he wouldn't be about to do anything in STM.
• Active Process: Much better than MSM. Shows how components are involved in the active processing of info rather than just the flow of info from one store to the next.
• Real World Application: Suggests practical applications especially for chuldren with learning difficulties - know how to work with them, can use different parts of STM. Alloway recommends breaking tasks into individual steps rather than coaching them on memory improvemnt - model helped this.
• Weaknesses: Central exec is most important part and is one we know least about. Psychologists complain it is too vague and doesn't explain much, believe it is made up of more than one CE.