working memory model

• central executive 


  control centre (boss) of the WMM that controls attention and directs information to the two slave systems
• phonological loop 


  temporary storage system for verbal information, held in speech-based form
• visuo-spatial sketchpad 


  temporary storage system for visual and spatial information
• episodic buffer 


  binds and integrates information from all of the components and passes the information to the long term memory
• what is the capacity of the central executive 


  limited
• what is the capacity of the phonological loop 


  limited (2 seconds worth of information)
• what is the capacity of the visuo-spatial sketchpad 


  limited (3-4 objects)
• what is the capacity of the episodic buffer 


  limited (about 4 chunks)
• what is the coding in the central executive

  modality free
• what is the coding the phonological loop 


  acoustic information
• what is the coding in the visuo-spatial sketchpad 


  visual and spatial information
• what is the coding in the episodic buffer 


  modality free (like central executive)
• phonological store 


  a temporary storage space for coding acoustic information which has a limited capacity
• inner scribe 


  deals with the manipulation of mental images
• visual cache 


  limited capacity for coding visual and spatial information
• what does the working model memory propose 


  an active, multi-component short term memory store with various components that allows processing of information and switching of attention
• what are the two slave systems 


  phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad
• who developed the working model of memory

  baddley and hitch
• strengths of working model of memory

  • research support from dual task studies by baddley and hitch

  • case study support of KF
• what did baddleys dual task study demonstrate

  that performing tasks simultaneously that require the same component of working memory leads to a decrease in performance
• what does baddleys dual task studies suggest

  that the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad are distinct systems and have limited capacities
• weaknesses of the working model of memory

  • lacks mundane realism

  • adopts a nomothetic approach
• why does the wwm lack mundane realism and external validity

  because the results collected from lab experiments may not be generalisable to other situations and aren’t always realistic
• what is the case study of KF

  KF was able to recall stored information from his long term memory however he had issues with his short term memory
• what was KF able and unable to remember

  he was able to remember visual images but unable to remember sounds
• what does the case study of KF suggest about the wwm

  it supports the idea of two slave systems the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad
• why does the wmm adopt a nomothetic approach

  because it attempts to generate universal laws that apply to all people regarding how short term memory processes information
• why would using an idiographic approach alongside the nomothetic approach be good

  because it can shed light on how long term memory loss can vary between people and future our understanding of how human memory works
• 2 sub components of the phonological loop

  • articulatory process
  • phonological store
• 2 sub components of the visuo-spatial sketchpad

  • inner scribe
  • visual cache