Memory: The Working Memory Model

• What role does the central executive (CE) play in the WMM?

  It supervises and allocates tasks
• What is the processing capacity of the central executive?

  Very limited processing capacity
• What type of information does the phonological loop (PL) deal with?

  Auditory information
• What are the two subdivisions of the phonological loop?

  Phonological store and articulatory process
• What does the phonological store do?

  Stores the words you hear
• What is the function of the articulatory process?

  Allows maintenance rehearsal of sounds
• What is the capacity of the phonological loop?

  Two seconds' worth of speech
• What does the visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSS) store?

  Visual and spatial information
• According to Baddeley, what is the capacity of the VSS?

  About three or four objects
• What are the two subdivisions of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

  Visual cache and inner scribe
• What does the visual cache do?

  Stores visual data
• What is the function of the inner scribe?

  Records arrangement of objects visually
• What does the case study of patient KF demonstrate?

  Separate visual and acoustic memory stores
• What cognitive ability did patient KF retain after his injury?

  Normal processing of visual information
• What limitation is associated with the case study of patient KF?

  Unclear if other cognitive impairments existed
• What do studies of dual-task performance support?

  Separate existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad
• What happens when both tasks are visual in dual-task performance?

  Performance on both declines substantially
• What limitation does Baddeley identify about the central executive?

  Lack of clarity over its nature
• What did Baddeley say about the central executive?

  It is the most important but least understood
• What does the lack of clarity about the central executive challenge?

  The integrity of the working memory model