WORKING MEMORY MODEL

• what does the wmm explain

  short term memory
• what are the 4 main components of the wmm

  central executive

  phonological loop

  visuo-spatial sketchpad

  episodic buffer
• what does the central executive do

  directs attention to particular tasks and controls the 2 sub systems (phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad)
• what is the coding and capacity

  flexible

  very limited
• what does the phonological loop do


  processes info in terms of sound
• what are the two subsystems of the phonological loop

  phonological store - words you hear

  articulory process (inner voice) - allows maintenance rehearsal
• what is the coding and capacity

  acoustic

  2 seconds
• what is the visio spatial sketchpad

  processes visual and spatial information, contributes to understanding of visual semantics
• what is the coding and capacity

  visual+spatial

  3/4 objects
• what is the episodic buffer

  - Brings together material from other subsystems into a single memory.

  - Provides a bridge between working memory and long-term memory.
• whats the coding and capacity

  flexible

  4 chunks
• clinical evidence?


  shallice and warringtons 1970 case study

  - kf suffered from amnesia

  - kfs stm for digits was poor when the researcher read it out but was higher when he read it to himself

  - the phonological loop was damaged
• Baddeley et al


  studies of dual task performance support the separate existence of the visio spatial sketchpad

  - showed that ps had more difficulty doing 2 visual tasks than visual and verbal - overloads capacity
• AO3: strength


  - PET scans have shown different areas of the brain are activated when doing verbal and visual tasks

  - many brain scan studies have involved Ps doing tasks that require the CE whilst having a brain scan

  - activity has been shown to increase in the prefrontal cortex as tasks get harder
• AO3: Weakness


  - lacks clarity over the CE

  - psychologists criticise it as they believe it doesn't really explain everything

  - should be explained in more detail and could have more components
• AO3: Weakness


  - only explains stm

  - doesn't describe other important stores

  - not an overall explanation compared to msm