Working Model of Memory

• The Working model of memory

  • Created by Baddeley and Hitch to replace the STM store of the MSM as they criticised the MSM for being too simplistic.
  • STM must be more complex than a single unitary store.
  • STM must be an active processer, holding multiple different types of info whilst simultaneously being worked on.
• Components of WMM

  • Central Executive
  • Phonological loop
  • Episodic buffer
  • Visio-Spacial Sketchpad
  • Long term Memory
• Central Executive

  • The part of the model that pays attention to info from the senses.
  • Passes info on and controls the other components called the "Slave systems"
  • Limited in capacity (4 items), and can only hold onto one type of info at a time.
  • Can switch quickly between types of info.
• Phonological loop

  • A Slave system controlled by the central executive.
  • Processes auditory coded information
  • Limited Capacity of what can be said in 2 seconds (word length effect)
  • Broken into 2 sections.
  • Phonological store.
  • Articulatory process.
• The Phonological Store is the inner ear that holds words recently heard.
• The Articulatory process is the inner voice that holds onto info via sub-vocal repetition.
• Visuo-spatial sketchpad

  • Processes visual and spatial coded info.
  • Known as the inner eye.
  • Split into 2 sections.
  • Visual Cache
  • Inner Scribe
• The Visual Cache is a Passive store of Form and Color.
• The Inner scribe is an active store that holds relationships between objects in 3D space.
• The Episodic Buffer was added to the WMM in 200 as a general store to hold and integrate info from the VSS, PL, CE, and LTM.
• WMM Eval - dual task performance study - Baddeley

  • PPTs were asked to perform 2 visual tasks or a visual and verbal task.
  • Found that performance was much better on the visual and verbal tasks as they were not using the same processing
  • Suggests the VVS and PL exist as separate systems and the capacity of the VSS can be overwhelmed.
• Eval - A case study of KF - Shallice and Warrington.

  • Investigated KF
  • It was found that KF has a selective impairment to his verbal STM caused by brain injury.
  • However, the visual functioning of his STM was not affected.
  • Suggesting the PL and VSS are separate processes.
• Eval - Existence of the EB - Prabhakaran et al.

  • Used fMRI scans and found greater right-frontal brain activation for combined verbal and spatial information, but greater posterior activation for non-combined information.
  • This provides biological support for an EB that allows the temporary storage of integrated information.
• Eval - Pl Capacity - Baddely

  • Investigated what is known as the word length effect, where participants recalled more short words in serial order than longer words.
  • Baddeley concluded that the capacity of the PL is set by the duration of words and not the number of words.