Working Model Memory (Baddely and Hitch)

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    Created by
    Millie Harris

    Cards (10)

    • What is working memory ?
      Short term memory
    • what compartments is STM made up of?
      > central executive
      > phonological loop
      > visuo-spatial sketchpad
      > episodic buffer
    • what’s the central executives function?
      > ‘supervisional role‘, it focuses and divides our limited attention
      > it doesn’t store information as has very limited processing capacity
      > allocates slave systems
    • what’s the phonological loops function?

      > one of the 3 slave systems
      > deals with auditory information
      > subdivided into:
      articulatory control system ( inner voice) - allows rehearsal in a ‘loop’ to keep them in phonological store and preserves the order. Limited capacity of 2 secs
      phonological store ( inner ear ) - decays after 2 secs. Receives directly from LTM or ears, holds words for few seconds unless subvocalised or refreshed using ACS
    • what’s the visiospatial sketch pads function?
      > one of 3 slave subsystems
      > stores and manipulates visual information
      > input from eyes or LTM
      > temporarily holds info
    • Whats the function of the episodic buffer?
      > 1 of 3 slave subsystems
      > binds together information from other components (time and order)
      > prepares memories for LTM
      > limited capacity of 4 chunks
    • strengths of working model memory
      > Baddeley found on a dual task performance study the performance on both visual and verbal tasks were no different to carrying out separately - when they performed two visual tasks performance declined ( using the same subsystems )
      > case studies of KF and HM
    • weaknesses of working model memory
      > the central executive doesn’t really explain anything
      > WMM isn’t fully explained
      > Smith and Jonides - showed differences in brain activation with PET scans during visual and spatial tasks showed VSS is not not store
      > Robbins - using chess players he found it was the central executive not the phonological loop that remembersed chess positions
    • Application to real life
      > cocktail party effect - central executive takes everything in subconsciously, filters sensory information
      > Alzheimer’s and Dementia - dual load of central executive and cognitive stimulation uses prompts to reawaken early memories, episodic buffer ‘picks up the slack’ of the other two slave subsystems
    • issues and debates 

      ethical issues using case studies
      > confidentiality
      > consent - how can someone with memory deficits provide consent, use family members (KF)
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