The Working Memory Model

• What are the main components of the Working Memory Model?

  • Central Executive (CE)
  • Phonological Loop (PL)
  • Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS)
  • Episodic Buffer (EB)
• What does the Central Executive (CE) do?

  It decides what we pay attention to and allocates tasks
• What is a limitation of the Central Executive (CE)?

  It has limited capacity and can handle few stimuli
• What is the coding method used by the Phonological Loop (PL)?

  Acoustic coding
• What type of information does the Phonological Loop (PL) process?

  Auditory information
• What is the role of the Phonological Loop (PL) in language development?

  It maintains the order of information
• What are the divisions of the Phonological Loop (PL)?

  • Phonological Store (Inner Ear)
  • Articulatory Control Process (Inner Voice)
• What does the Phonological Store (Inner Ear) do?

  It holds speech for 1-2 seconds
• What is the function of the Articulatory Control Process (Inner Voice)?

  It repeats information to prevent decay
• How is the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS) useful?

  It is useful for mental imagery
• What type of information does the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS) handle?

  Visual and spatial information
• What does the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS) manipulate?

  Visual information from the eyes or long-term memory
• What does the Visual Cache do?

  It stores visual data like shape and color
• What are the subdivisions of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS)?

  • Visual Cache
  • Inner Scribe
• What is the function of the Inner Scribe?

  It manages spatial and movement information
• What does the Episodic Buffer (EB) do?

  It integrates information from CE, PL, and VSS into a single unit
• What is the coding method used by the Episodic Buffer (EB)?

  Flexible coding
• What is the capacity of the Episodic Buffer (EB)?

  About 3-4 chunks
• What are the strengths of the Working Memory Model (WMM)?

  • Research support from Baddeley (1976)
  • Clinical evidence from Shallice & Warrington (1970) - Case of KF
  • Practical applications for ADHD interventions
• What did Baddeley (1976) demonstrate in his research support for WMM?

  He conducted a dual task experiment
• What did Baddeley's dual task experiment support?

  It supported the existence of separate systems for visual and verbal tasks
• What did the case study of KF by Shallice & Warrington (1970) reveal?

  Verbal memory was impaired while visual memory was intact
• What are the weaknesses of the Working Memory Model (WMM)?

  • Central Executive (CE) is vague and not well understood
  • Possibly multiple components of CE
  • Case study of EVR supports complexity
• What is a criticism regarding the Central Executive (CE)?

  It is vague and not well understood
• What does the case study of EVR suggest about the Central Executive (CE)?

  It suggests that CE may have multiple components
• What is the coding and capacity of each component in the Working Memory Model?

  | Component | Coding | Capacity |

  |-------------------|------------|--------------------------------|

  | Central Executive | Flexible | Limited |

  | Phonological Loop | Acoustic | 2 seconds of speech |

  | Visuo-Spatial | Visual | 3-4 objects |

  | Episodic Buffer | Flexible | 3-4 chunks |