Working Memory Model

• Who proposed the WMM?

  Baddeley and Hitch
• What is the WMM a more detailed version of?

  Short term memory (MSM)
• Components of WMM?

  Central executive, Phonological loop, Visuo spatial sketchpad, Episodic buffer
• Function of central executive?

  Decided what information is/isnt attended to

  Directs information to the slave systems
• Coding of central executive?

  Multi modal
• Capacity of central executive?

  Limited
• Function of phonological loop?

  Temporary storage of verbal information (in the order it is heard)
• Coding of phonological loop?

  • Phonological store (inner ear)

  stores acoustic information

  • Articulatory process (inner voice)

  maintenance rehearsal

  converts seen words into heard words
• Capacity of phonological loop?

  Limited (2 seconds)
• Function of visuo spatial sketchpad?

  Temporary storage of visual information and spatial items
• Coding of visuo spatial sketchpad?

  • Visual cache

  form shape colour

  • Inner scribe

  spatial relationships

  transfers information from visual cache to central executive
• Capacity of visuo spatial sketchpad?

  Limited (3-4 chunks)
• Function of episodic buffer?

  Temporary store of verbal, visual, spatial information

  Time sequencing
• Coding of episodic buffer?

  Visual and verbal
• Capacity of the episodic buffer?

  Limited (4 chunks)
• WMM AO3?

  Case studies + can't generalise

  Visual tracking test + word length effect

  Experimental reductionism + simplification
• WMM AO3 CASE STUDIES

  • KF - motorbike accident
  • only verbal information affected
  • evidence for multiple stores
  • CAN'T GENERALISE
  • can be unique experience
  • doesn't apply to general population
• WMM AO3 RESEARCH

  • VISUAL TRACKING TEST
  • Baddeley et al
  • light tracking / angles of 'F' (1)
  • light tracking / verbal task (2)
  • 1 means competition for slave system
  • WORD LENGTH EFFECT
  • Baddeley et al
  • phonological loop has 2 second capacity
  • longer words don't fit so struggle to remember
• WMM AO3 EXPERIMENTAL REDUCTIONISM

  • isolating variables in a controlled setting
  • finding a clear 'cause and effect'
  • SIMPLIFIED
  • limits variables they use, ignore complexity and the full process
  • easier to study