The working memory model

• The working memory model was developed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974. It focuses on the part of memory responsible for temporary storage and manipulation of information.
• The central executive in the WMM has limited processing capabilities. It is responsible for direction of attention and coordinating the activities of the other three subsystems.
• The visuospatial sketchpad (inner eye) in the WMM deals with visual and spatial information. It creates a mental map representing our interaction with spatial environment.
• The phonological loop in the WMM handles verbal and auditory information. It is divided into 2 components: the phonological loop (inner ear) which holds the words you hear and the articulatory process (inner voice) which rehearses and stores verbal information.
• The episodic buffer was added to the WMM by Baddeley in 2000. It is a temporary store which can integrate information from the other components and also LTM into a single episode. It is a point of contact between working memory and LTM.
• Positives of the WMM are the supporting research from dual-task studies and brain scanning technology and the model is more complex and complete than the MSM.
• Negatives of the WMM are the confusing about the nature and function of the central executive and the overemphasis on the structure of working memory with less focus on the process of remembering.