WMM essay plan

• WMM AO1

  STM is an active part of memory, more complex than the MSM described it.

  central executive = supervisory role, allocates info, capacity = limited/none as it doesn't actually hold info, deals with sensory memory

  phonological loop: deals with auditory info, has two parts - phonological store (inner ear) and articulatory control system (inner voice) which allows maintenance rehearsal

  visuospatial sketchpad: stores info on shape/colour/size, limited capacity, visual cache = form and colour, inner scribe = spatial movement and rehearsal

  episodic buffer: integrates info from other stores into LTM, maintains time sequencing, limited capacity, added in 2000
• WMM AO3 strength

  evidence - Baddeley and hitch dual task experiments: ppts did 2 tasks at once, when doing 2 that required same slave system at the same time they were impaired = shows capacity is limited = supports model

  CA: lab exp = lack of ecological validity as memory of ppts may differ in the contrived settings from real and a lack of mundane realism means it may not have been measuring daily memory

  SW: despite this, the lab exp means high control on variables so it is reliable and provides strong empirical evidence for WMM = strength
• WMM AO3 weakness

  elements of model suggested to be hypothetical constructs eg central executive = compromises empirical validity of model as hard to measure so is more theoretical so not falsifiable so arguably not scientific

  CA: other elements eg phonological loop and VS are supported by studies = gives model credibility

  SW: overall though having parts that are difficult and impossible to test means there could be unknowing errors in the model that can't be proven so is not scientific