The Working Memory Model

• What is it?

  • Multi-store model is too simplistic.
  • The working memory model is a more detailed explanation of how our short term memory works and is organised.
  • Suggests that it is an active store of information which is continually manipulated.
  • Has 4 different components.
• The Working Memory Model:

  
• Central Executive:

  • Monitors the incoming information and allocates which one of the other sections to use.
  • Deals with conflicts of attention (chatting to a friend whilst driving and a cyclist starts wobbling).
• Phonological Loop:

  • Processes information in terms of sound (can be spoken or written). Acoustic encoding.
  • Articulatory process - rehearses information in a loop to keep them in your memory while needed. Capacity is around 2 seconds.
  • Phonological store - stores the words you hear.
• Visuospatial Sketchpad:

  • Stores visual and spatial information - coding is visual.
  • Visual - what things look like.
  • Spatial - the relationship between things.
  • E.g if you’re asked how many windows a house has you visualise it.
  • Limited capacity: 3-4 objects.
  • Can be separated: inner scribe (records the arrangement pf objects), visual cache (stores visual information).
• Episodic Buffer:

  • Integrates the visual, spatial and verbal information from the other components in a temporary store.
  • Makes sure that sequencing (timing) is correct and makes episodic memories.
  • Links to the long term memory.
• Evidence/Evaluation:

  ’Dual task’

  • Got participants to do two visual or two auditory tasks at the same time.
  • Found that they struggled to do it at the same time.
  • Then did a verbal and visual task at the same time.
  • Shows that there are separate ‘slave systems’ to process for visual and verbal information.
• Evidence/Evaluation:

  Word Length Effect:

  • People find it more difficult to remember lists of long words.
  • There is a finite capacity for rehearsal of the phonological loop - 2 seconds.
  • Had to try remember two lists of words. One with long words and one with short words.
  • Support as it is in line with the phonological loop.
• Evidence/Evaluation:

  Case Study ‘KF’

  • Did an experiment on KF. They had a poor short term memory for verbal information but could process visual information.
  • Shows how their phonological loop got damaged but other parts were fine.
  • Supports the idea of a separate visual and sound store.
• Summary:

  • More in depth model of our short term memory.
  • Key components (central executive, phonological loop, visu-spatial sketchpad, episodic buffer).
  • Difficult to use a ‘slave system’ for 2 different tasks.
  • Supportive research - Baddeley.
  • More supportive research - case study of KF.