Working Memory Model

• What is the WMM?

  • A model of STM
  • It is concerned with the 'mental space' that is active when working on an arithmetic problem or playing chess ect
• What is the central executive?

  • Allocates subsystems
  • It is the supervisory role that monitors incoming data
  • Directs attention and allocates subsystems to tasks
• What is the capacity of the central executive?

  Very Limited
• What is the phonological loop?

  • Your 'inner voice'
  • Deals with auditory information and preserves the order in which the information arrives
• What is the phonological loop divided into?

  • Phonological Store - stores the words you hear
  • Articularly process - allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating sounds it keep them in WM while they are needed)
• What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

  Stores visual and/or spatial information when required eg. recalling how many windows your house has
• What are the two parts of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

  • Visual Cache - stores visual data
  • Inner Scribe - records arrangement of objects in visual field
• What is the episodic buffer?

  • Added in 2000
  • Temporary store for information and integrates visual, spatial and verbal information from other stores
  • It maintains the sense of time sequencing - recording events that are happening
  • Links to the LTM
• Strength of WMM:

  • Supporting research - Baddeley et al, participants found it harder to carry out two visual tasks at the same time than do a visual and verbal task together and vice versa, this is because both visual tasks compete for the same subsystem (VSS) and there is no competition with a verbal and visual task

  COUNTERPOINT

  • These are highly controlled studies and use artificial tasks, challenges the validity of the model as it may perform differently in everyday situations
• Weakness of WMM:

  • Lack of clarity over the Central executive, Baddeley said CE was the most important but least understood component of the WMM, there must be more to the CE than just being "attention".
  • Therefore it is an unsatisfactory component and challenged the integrity of the model