Working-Memory model AO3

• +One strength: dual task performance supports the separate existence of the visuospatial sketchpad. When Baddeley's participants carried out a visual and verbal task at the same time, their performance on each were was similar. But when both tasks required the use of the same slave system, performance on both declined substantially. This shows there must be different slave systems that process visual input (VSS) and auditory input (PL).
• -One limitation: there is a lack of clarity over the nature of the central executive . Baddeley said the CE is the most important component but the least understood of working memory. The CE needs to be more specified than just attention. Some psychologists believe the CE is made up of subcomponents. This means the CE is an unsatisfactory component and this challenges the integrity of the WMM.
• +One strength Shallice & Warrington’s case study of KF supports this. After his injury, KF had poor STM ability for auditory information but could process visual information normally. His immediate recall of letters & digits was better when he read them (visual) than when they were read to him (acoustic). KFs phonological loop was damaged but his visuo-spatial sketchpad was intact. This finding strongly supports the existence of separate visual and acoustic memory stores.
• +-Its unclear whether KF had other cognitive impairments which might’ve affected his performance on memory tests; the trauma from a previous motorcycle accident which may’ve affected his cognitive performance quite a bit apart from any brain injury. This challenges evidence that comes from case studies of people with brain injuries that may’ve affected many different systems.