Working Memory Model

• Working Memory Model - Baddeley + Hitch (1974)


  Cognitive model created to replace STM in the MSM

  • Central Executive
  • Phonological Loop
  • Visuo-spatial Sketchpad
  • Episodic Buffer (Added in 2000)
  • LTM
• Central Executive


  Receives sense information, controls attention and filters information into stores

  • Capacity: 4 Items
  • Can only deal with 1 strand at a time
• Phonological Loop

  Sound information through acoustic coding

  • Primary Acoustic Store: inner ear, store words heard
  • Articulatory Process: inner voice, sub-vocal repetition
  • Capacity: 2 seconds
• Visuo-spatial Sketchpad


  Visual and Spatial information store

  • Visual Cache: form and colour
  • Inner Scribe: 3D space
• Episodic Buffer


  Added in 2000, used as a general store to hold and combine information
• (+) A03: Shallice + Warrington


  KF injured from motor cycle accident, asked to repeat letters, numbers and word-strings, visual memory was better than auditory memory, suggesting different stores
• (+) Prabhakaran


  Participants underwent fMRIs whilst completing tasks, found activity in prefrontal cortex when information is intergrated, and posterior activation for non-combined information, supporting the idea of an episodic buffer for temporary storage
• (-) A03: Not Observable


  Can't directly observe the stores, research lacks mundane realism, can't generalise to wider population