The Working Memory Model

• The working memory model:

  • working memory is used to flexibly keep information in mind while we do things like problem-solving. STM is just one aspect of our working memory
  • the Working Memory Model was developed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974 - this model provided us with an improved understanding of short term memory
  • it is not an alternative to the multi-store model, but it builds on and refines one aspect of the multi-store model
• The central executive:

  • the central executive is the most important component of the model

  it is responsible for;

  • controlling attention
  • decision-making
  • directing information to the slave sub-systems (the visuospatial sketchpad and the phonological loop)

  The central executive processes information in all sensory forms (coding). The capacity is limited (can only deal with one strand of information at a time)
• The central executive:

  • Baddeley (1986) uses the metaphor of a company boss to describe the way in which the central executive operates
  • the company boss makes decisions about which issues deserve attention and which should be ignored
  • they also select strategies for dealing with problems, but like any other person in the company, the boss can only do a limited number of things at the same time
  • the boss of a company will collect information from a number of different sources
• The central executive:

  • two activities sometimes come into conflict, such as driving a car and talking. Rather than hitting a cyclist who is wobbling all over the road, it is preferable to stop talking and concentrate on driving
  • the central executive directs attention and gives priority to particular activities
  • if driving becomes an automated task, it requires less attention from the central executive
• The phonological loop

  • the phonological loop is the part of the working memory that deals with spoken and written material

  it consists of two parts (coding);

  • the inner ear
  • the inner voice

  The capacity of the phonological loop is anything that can be rehearsed in 2 seconds
• The inner ear :

  • the inner ear (sometimes known as the phonological store) holds information in a speech-based form (i.e. spoken words) for 1-2 seconds
  • spoken words enter the store directly
  • written words must first be converted into an articulatory (spoken) code before they can enter the phonological store
• The inner voice:

  • the inner voice (sometimes known as the articulatory control process) is linked to speech production and is in charge of rehearsing information from the inner ear
  • it circulates information round and round like a tape loop
  • the inner voice also converts written material into speech and transfers it to the inner ear
• The phonological loop:

  • this is how we remember a telephone number we have just heard
  • as long as we keep repeating it, we can retain the information in working memory
• The visuospatial sketchpad:

  • the visuospatial sketchpad deals with visual and spatial information
  • it is likely that the visuospatial sketchpad plays an important role in helping us keep track of where we are in relation to other objects as we move through our environment

  it is divided into two components (coding);

  • the inner eye
  • the inner scribe

  the capacity of the visuospatial sketchpad is 3-4 objects
• The inner eye:

  • the inner eye (sometimes known as the visual cache) stores information about form and colour
• The inner scribe:

  • the inner scribe arranges objects in the visual field
  • as we move around, our position in relation to other objects is constantly changing as it is important that we can update this information
• The visuospatial sketchpad:

  • the spatial layout of your house is held in your LTM
  • if you had to envision the number of windows in the front of your house an image is retrieved from LTM and pictured on the sketchpad
• The episodic buffer:

  • it is a temporary store that integrates ('glues') information from the other components and maintains a sense of time, so that events occur in a continuing sequence
• Evaluation of the working-memory model:

  S - support that there is a separate visual and verbal memory - Baddeley's dual-task studies

  S - support that the stores are separate - the K.F case study

  W - criticism of the central executive (it is overly simple)

  S - support for the inner voice - Baddeley's word length effect
• Support that there is separate visual and verbal memory - Baddeley's dual-task studies (identify):

  • there is evidence to support the model from Baddeley's dual-task studies
• Support that there is separate visual and verbal memory - Baddeley's dual-task studies (explain):

  • Baddeley found that when participants completed two visual tasks simultaneously they performed significantly worse than when they were performing one visual and one verbal task simultaneously
  • two visual tasks require the visuospatial sketchpad only and leads to the store becoming overloaded
  • however, when the two tasks require separate stores it means the jobs are shared and the stores do not become overloaded
• Support that there is separate visual and verbal memory - Baddeley's dual-task studies (conclusion):

  • this is important as it supports the working memory model because it provides empirical evidence for the existence of two separate stores for working memory (visual and verbal)
  • this makes revision techniques more effective
• Support that the stores are separate - the K.F case study (identify):

  • there is evidence to support the model from the K.F case study
• Support that the stores are separate - the K.F case study (explain):

  • the case study of K.F reported that a man who suffered brain damage from a motorbike accident had an impaired verbal memory but an intact visual memory
• Support that the stores are separate - the K.F case study (conclusion):

  • the supports the working memory model because it provides empirical evidence that our STM is split into two separate stores as K.F could remember one form of memory but not another suggesting there are separate visual and verbal stores
  • however, this lacks population validity, as it is a case study so not generalisable as memory might not work in the same way for everyone
• Criticism of the central executive - it is overly simple (identify):

  • researchers suggest that the central executive is unsatisfactory and its functions aren't well explained
• Criticism of the central executive - it is overly simple (explain):

  • the central executive should be more clearly specified that just being simply 'attention'
  • some psychologists believe that it may consist of separate components and more research needs to be done to investigate these
• Criticism of the central executive - it is overly simple (conclusion):

  • this is important because the central executive is a key component of the working memory model and therefore it demands further attention and explanation if the model is seen as valid and applicable to the real world
• Support for the inner voice - Baddeley's word length effect (identify):

  • there is evidence to support the model from Baddeley's word length effect
• Support for the inner voice - Baddeley's word length effect (explain):

  • Baddeley found that participants could remember more words from a world list that consisted of short words, compared to when the word list consisted of long words
  • the recall of words requires the use of the inner voice which has a capacity of whatever it can rehearse in 2 seconds. If the words are shorter than more can be rehearsed in this short time window
• Support for the inner voice - Baddeley's word length effect (conclusion):

  • this supports the working memory model because it provides empirical evidence for the existence of an inner voice which is used to rehearse sounds in the phonological loop
  • this is useful information for revision techniques
  • this is a lab experiment so it has tight control over extraneous variables meaning a cause and effect relationship can be established