Memory: The working memory model (3)

• What is the working memory model (WM) concerned with?


  Short-term or immediate memory
• How does the working memory model assist in complex tasks?


  It allows you to store information as you work on a task
• In the example of calculating $21 +$$12 +$$52$, what does working memory do?


  It holds the answer of $21 +$$12$ before adding $52$
• What is the role of the central executive in the working memory model?


  It monitors and coordinates all other mental functions in working memory
• What is the function of the episodic buffer in the working memory model?


  It temporarily stores and integrates information from various sources
• How does the phonological loop function in working memory?


  It codes speech sounds and involves maintenance rehearsal
• What does the visuo-spatial sketchpad code?


  Visual information and the arrangement of objects in a visual field
• What did Baddeley and Hitch (1974) propose about short-term memory (STM)?


  STM consists of multiple stores rather than a single store
• What evidence supports the existence of separate stores for visual and auditory processing?


  Dual task performance shows interference with two visual tasks but not with visual and auditory tasks
• What is the limited capacity of the central executive?


  It cannot attend to too many things at once and has no storage capacity
• How is the phonological loop subdivided according to Baddeley (1986)?


  Into the phonological store and the articulatory process
• What does the visual cache store?


  Information about visual items, such as form and color
• What is the purpose of the inner scribe in the visuo-spatial sketchpad?


  It stores the arrangement of objects in the visual field
• Why was the episodic buffer added to the working memory model?


  To provide a general store for integrating visual and acoustic information
• What does the episodic buffer provide in terms of memory processing?


  A sense of time sequencing and records events happening
• What did Hitch and Baddeley (1976) demonstrate regarding dual task performance?


  Task performance is slower when both tasks involve the central executive
• What did Shallice and Warrington (1970) find in their study of patient KF?

  He had greater short-term forgetting of auditory information than visual stimuli
• What was the finding regarding patient SC in Baddeley and Wilson (1986)?

  He could not learn word pairs presented out loud, indicating damage to the phonological loop
• What did Farah et al. (1988) find about patient LH?


  He performed better on spatial tasks than on visual imagery tasks
• What are some problems associated with using case studies of brain-damaged individuals?


  Trauma may change behavior, and results cannot be generalized
• What is the word-length effect in relation to the phonological loop?


  People remember short words better than long words in working memory
• How does articulatory suppression affect the word-length effect?


  It eliminates the word-length effect by tying up the articulatory process
• What criticism do some psychologists have regarding the central executive?


  It is considered too vague and may not explain memory processes adequately
• What did Eslinger and Damasio (1985) find in their study of patient EVR?


  He performed well on reasoning tests but had poor decision-making skills
• What are the components of the working memory model?


  • Central executive
  • Phonological loop
  • Phonological store
  • Articulatory process
  • Visuo-spatial sketchpad
  • Visual cache
  • Inner scribe
  • Episodic buffer
• What are the strengths and limitations of the working memory model?


  Strengths:

  • Explains dual task performance
  • Supported by brain-damaged patient studies
  • Accounts for different types of information processing

  
  

  Limitations:

  • Vague concept of the central executive
  • Case studies cannot be generalized
  • Complexity of the central executive may be underestimated
• How can Megan concentrate on her lecturer while playing a game but not when her friend chats with her?


  Megan can manage auditory and visual tasks simultaneously, but chatting interferes with auditory processing
• What should you include when describing a research study?

  Information on the procedures and conclusions of the study
• What is the purpose of the mental rotation test?


  To assess the function of the visuo-spatial sketchpad