the working memory model

• who put forward the idea of the working memory model


  baddeley and hitch 1974
• how does the WMM differ with the MSM


  • suggested the STM was made up of a system of processors that are linked, replacing the concept of a unitary STM
• dual task study - baddeley and hitch 1974


  • Ps had to carry out verbal reasoning tasks while simultaneously rehearsing digit strings (482917)
  • Ps were quite accurate, just slower
  • the fact that they could do it lead them to belive the STM features different processors that can work simultaneously rather than a unitary store
• the central executive 


  • directs attention to tasks
  • supervisory role
  • determine how resources (slave systems) are allocated
  • limited capacity
• visuospatial sketchpad 


  • visual - what things look like
  • spatial - relationships between things
  • limited capacity
  • logie 1995 suggested subdivision - visual cache (visual data) and the inner scribe (records the arrangement of objects in the visual field
• phonological loop


  • limited capacity
  • deals with auditory information
  • preserves word order and understanding
  • baddeley 1986 subdivided into phonological store (holds words that you hear) and the articulatory process (allows maintenance rehearsal by looping words silently over and over)
• episodic buffer 


  • added in 2000
  • intergrates and manipulates material from LTM when required to - an elephant playing ice hockey
  • combines information into different 'chunks' or episodes
  • acts as a storage component
  • integrates verbal, visual and spatial info from other stores
• dual task study - baddeley and hitch 1974


  • visuospatial sketchpad - visualising letters and what comes first
  • phonological loop - chanting the numbers over and over
• case of KF


  • could process visual info - visuospatial sketchpad is intact
  • recall was poor if things were read to him - phonological loop is damaged
  • BUT this case is not representative for everyone
• :) - the WMM is a great improvement of the MSM


  includes more detail - has more subdivisions as the WMM isnt unitary
• :( - hampson and morris 1996 suggest the most important (central executive) is the least understood. it may be a whole system in itself rather than just a single component


  may not be as accurate as it is the key and most important component with the least understanding, could contain more subdivisions
• :) - the WMM is a useful theory that explains not only STM but relevant to other cognitive abilities like attention


  explains things that MSM cant, attention - we can do things at the same time like memory - cocktail part affect - the ability to do 2 things simultaneously
• :) :( - the WMM is a developing theory that will become more comprehensive as more research is done


  :) - going in the right direction, being added to overtime, better than MSM

  :( - model is unfinished
• :) :( - WMM is based off of laboratory research 


  :) - biological evidence - based off facts, replicable, measureable, observable

  :( - lab environment is not the same as real life situations (dual task studies)