Working Memory Model

• The Working Memory Model was proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974
• The Central Excecutive allocates data to the subsystems (Visuospatial Sketchpad & Phonological Loop) and helps with cognitive tasks e.g problem solving
• The Visuospatial Sketchpad stores and processes information in a visual or spatial form and is used for navigation
• The Visuospatial Sketchpad is composed of the Visual Cache (visual data) and the Inner Scribe (spatial arrangement)
• The Phonological Loop deals with spoken and written material
• The Phonological Loop is composed of the Phonological Store and the Articulatory Control Process
• The Phonological Store processes speech perception and stores words for 1-2 seconds
• The Episodic Buffer integrates all forms of information and maintain sequencing, and acts as a back-up store to communicate LTM with WM
• The Episodic Buffer is limited to around 4 chunks
• The Episodic Buffer was added by Baddeley in 2000 after it failed to explain why people could instantly recall information
• Baddeley & Hitch (1975) carried out the dual task study to show separate existence of the two main slave systems
• The Dual Task Study used two conditions: tracking moving light & describing capital letter F, tracking moving light & repeating verbal sound
• Baddeley & Hitch found that the participants found the second condition much easier
• Patient KF supported the WMM as he had serious damage to to his STM for verbal information but STM for visual information was unaffacted
• Braver et.al. used brain scanning to investigate the central excecutive by giving participants logic and reasoning tasks while using brain scanning equipment
• Braver et.al. found that the occipital lobe is used for visual tasks