Working Memory Model

• Who made the working memory model?

  Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
• what are the components of the WMM?

  FOLLOWING:

  
• function of central executive

  • control centre of the WMM
  • supervisory function and controls the slave systems
• capacity of CE

  limited capacity
• coding of CE

  any sensory modality
• function of phonological loop

  • temporary storage system for verbal information
  • held in speech-based form
• capacity of phonological loop

  Limited capacity
• coding of phonological loop

  acoustic information
• function of visuo-spatial sketchpad

  temporary storage system for visual and spatial information
• capacity of visuo-spatial sketchpad

  limited capacity
• coding of visuo-spatial Sketchpad

  visual and spatial information
• strength of WMM (1)

  • Patient KF, who was injured in a motorcycle accident. Following his accident, KF was able to recall stored information from his LTM; however, he had issues with his STM. He was able to remember visual images, including faces, but was unable to remember sounds. This suggests that there are at least two components within STM, one component for visual information and one for acoustic information. The research into KF supports the phonological loop and the visuo‐spatial sketchpad, therefore providing support to the WMM
• strengths of WMM (2)

  • dual‐task studies: When both tasks require the participants to use their phonological loop, their ability to perform the tasks is impaired. However, when one task requires the participant to simultaneously use their phonological loop (remembering a series of numbers) and the other requires their visuo‐spatial sketchpad (copying a drawing) then their performance is not impaired. Dual‐task studies provide evidence for the existence of multiple components within our STM and support the idea of a separate phonological loop and visuo‐spatial sketchpad.
• limitation of WMM

  • only focuses on STM, and the link between the WMM and LTM is not fully explained. The WMM provides a detailed description of our STM, but no information on how information is processed and transferred from STM to LTM and back again. Therefore, the WMM is an incomplete model of memory and other theories/models are required to gain a complete picture of this complex cognitive phenomenon.
• limitations of WMM (2)

  • Research examining the WMM often demonstrates experimental reductionism, as it attempts to examine complex behaviour by relying on isolated variables operationalised in laboratory experiments.
• strengths of WMM (3)

  • Furthermore, the WMM adopts a nomothetic approach since it attempts to generate universal laws regarding how STM processes information, based on dual‐task studies conducted under laboratory conditions. Using an idiographic approach can shed light on how STM loss can vary between people