A03

• What can't MSM explain but WM can?

  Memory impairment in certain brain damaged people

  KF - Suffered brain damage, the impairment was mainly verbal info but visual info wasn't affected
• What does WM consider?


  Storage and processing of information
• What does it explain?

  Many practical observations

  Why it was easier to do 2 different tasks than 2 similar tasks
• What does it account for?

  Individual differences in memory processing

  Turner and Engle - Pd hold words in memory whilst working mental arithmetic problems

  WM is practically useful in explaining why some individuals have specific learning difficulties
• Any component of WM may be involved in performing difficult tasks - ARP seems to play part in memory span tasks, mental arithmetic, verbal reasoning and reading
• What is the problem with knowing the least about the CE?

  It's the most important component and it's difficult to falsify

  Richardson (1984) - the concept of the CE is too vague but it can be used to justify any results
• What types of real phenomena can the WM explain better than MSM?

  Baddeley (1990) - Children with specific learning problems (reading) - problem was impaired memory span
• What is the problem in one part of WM?

  Related to the development of the phonological loop
• Rehearsal plays a central part in MSM - Evidence from everyday situations suggest people rarely rehearse information
• WM is better model of STM than MSM

  Baddeley (1986) - 2 tasks at the same time

  Digital span task - required them to remember a list of numbers and a reasoning task
• Baddeley (1981) - Aim is to continue identifying as many specific processing mechanisms as possible

  CE is just an area of STM which hasn't been explained fully

  Model is still being worked on and refined