working memory model

• what are the 5 parts of the working memory model?

  central executive, phonological loop, episodic buffer, visuo-spatial sketchpad and long term memory
• what does the central executive do?


  controls attention

  briefly stores information - capacity = 4 plus or minus 1

  data arrives from LTM and senses
• what does the episodic buffer do?

  temporary store

  the sequencing for visual, spatial and verbal
• what is the working memory model?


  the bit of information you are using while working on a complex task which requires you to store information as you go along
• what is the evidence from brain scans that supports WMM?


  complete tasks with spatial and verbal information.

  condition 1 = info was separate

  condition 2 = info was integrated

  more activation in prefrontal cortex when info was integrated, posterior brain regions when info was separate
• what does the brain scans show about the WMM?


  suggests that the EB exit and is in the prefrontal cortex a brain region specialised in the combination and temporary storage of visual verbal and auditory information
• limitations of WMM?


  we don't know how it works or where it is exactly located. unclear on how the central executive works which shows that the model is unreliable
• what does the phonological loop do?

  an auditory store that rehearses sound based information to prevent decay
• what does the phonological store do? (inner ear)

  deals with the perceptions of sounds and speech
• what does the auditory loop do? (inner mouth)

  verbal rehearsal system to prevent decay of verbal information
• what does the visuo spatial sketchpad do?

  deals with information by visually organising it