the working memory model

• what is this model of memory called?

  the multi-store model

  
• who created the working memory model?

  baddeley and hitch (1974)
• the central executive...


  is the key component of the model

  decides what the working model pays attention to

  selects strategies - but can only do a limited number of things at one time

  collects information from a number of different sources and holds the information in a large database
• the phonological loop...


  deals with auditory information

  has a limited capacity
• what was the phonological loop further divided into?


  • phonological state - holds words heard
  • articulary process - holds words listened and read
• the visuo-spatial sketchpad...


  stores visual information (what things look like) and spatial information (relationship between things and the "inner-eye")

  limited capacity
• logie (1995)...


  later subdivided the visuo-spatial sketchpad into the...

  • visuo-cache store
  • inner scribe for spatial relations
• the episodic buffer...


  was added to the working memory model in 2000 - acts as the more general store of the model

  has no storage capacity

  doesn't deal with a specific type of information - instead, integrates information from all other areas
• shallice and warrington (1970)...


  studied the patient KF who had severe brain damage - poor STM for verbal information but could still process visual information normally

  suggested that his phonological loop was damaged
• what does KF's case support?


  the idea that there are different stores for visual and acoustic information
• what is a limitation of KF's case?


  his case was a very unique experience - difficult to generalise these findings to everybody
• what did baddeley et al (1975) study?


  dual-task performance
• baddeley et al (1975a)...


  found that participants had difficulty performing 2 visual tasks at the same time (tracking a light and describing the letter "F") - however, they could perform a verbal and a visual task at the same time
• what were the findings of baddeley et al's study into dual-task performance?


  that since 2 visual tasks require the same slave system, they cannot be conducted at the same time

  however, a visual task and a verbal task does not require the same slave system - supports the existence of seperate stores for visual and auditory input
• baddeley (1975b)...


  empirical evidence - suggested that the memory span is limited by time (about 2 seconds), rather than the number of chunks

  example = harpoon and friday have long vowel sounds and take longer to say
• what did baddeley's empirical evidence support?

  the idea that the articulary control systems are on a time-based rehearsal loop
• what is a limitation of the central executive?


  there is a lack of clarity over it - not well-explained, uncertainty over how it works

  baddeley admits that it's "the most important yet least understood component" - needs to be more clearly specified than just "attention"