Working Memory Model (WMM)

What is the working memory model?

a memory model created by Baddeley and Hitch (1974) is a development of the multi-store model

(← this shows us how theories develop over time as science evolves)

What is dual-task technique?

the procedure where participants carry out 2 tasks at once

What was  Baddeley and Hitch (1974) experiment?

participants preformed dual-task techniques

• one where participants perform 2 tasks simultaneously that both involve listening (same sense), they perform them less well than if they did them separately

• another where participants perform 2 tasks simultaneously listening and vision (different senses), with no issues 

What does the experiment suggest?

• there are different stores for visual and auditory processing

• working memory is a mental workspace, which provides a temporary platform that holds relevant information for use in any cognitive task and lets go of it when no longer relevant to make space for a new round of information processing

Describe or draw the WMM?

What are the 4 hypothesised components of the STM?

central executive, phonological loop, episodic buffer, and visuo-spatial sketchpad

What is the central executive component?

• attention control system of the STM (most important job)

  • monitors and coordinates the operations of the sub-systems of processing and storage

  • can focus attention and divide attention between 2+ sources and switch attention between tasks 

• limited in capacity (cannot attend to a lot of things at the same time)

• modality-free (can process any sensory information)

What are the 2 ways attention control can occur in the central executive?

automatic level and supervisory attention

What is automatic level?

• based on habits

• controlled automatically by stimuli 

e.g. routine actions and places that demand little attention

What is supervisory attention?

• responsible for planning and decision-making

• capable of considering alternative strategies and choosing the best option

e.g. emergency situations, situations that require self-regulation

What is the phonological loop?

auditory component of the STM

What are the 2 components of the phonological loop?

articulatory control system and phonological store

What is the articulatory control system?

• aka inner voice

• holds information in a verbal form

e.g. holds words to prepare you to speak, repeating a phone number in your head to try to remember it

What is the phonological store?

• aka inner ear

• holds auditory memory traces

• can receive information directly from sensory memory in the form of auditory material, and LTM and the articulatory control system in the form of verbal information

e.g. remembering a new phone number long enough to dial it, repeating a foreign word, or counting objects

• memory trace can last from 1.5 to 2 seconds if the articulatory control system does not rehearse it

What is articulatory surpression?

• participants are asked to repeat words such as “the” or “one” while they memorize a list of words. These studies show that simultaneous tasks decrease the accuracy of recall of information because the phonological rehearsal system is overloaded.

• this supports the WWM

What is the visuospatial sketchpad?

• visual component of the STM (aka inner eye)

• temporary store for visual and spatial information from either sensory memory or LTM

How does the visuospatial sketchpad process visuals?

Visual Processing

• occurs through storage and manipulation of visual patterns and spatial movements in 2D or 3D

• helps us remember important visual information and where things are

e.g. finding our way around the house, trying to remember where an item is

What is the episodic buffer?

• temporarily holds several sources of information simultaneously while you consider what is relevant in the present situation

• capacity: limited

2 studies that support the WMM

specific studies

What are 2 strengths of the WMM?

• Significant supporting research

  • specific studies

  • Brain scans have shown brain activity in different areas of the brain when carrying out verbal and visual tasks 

    • supports the idea that there are different parts of memory for visual and verbal tasks 

  • Case studies on patients with brain damage

    • supports the theory that there is more than one STM store 

• This model helps us understand why we are able to multitask when using different senses for tasks and are unable when using the same

What are 2 limitations of the WMM?

• Over-simplified

• fails to explain…

  • the processes involved in LTM, the interaction among the 4 components, memory distortion, or the role of emotion in memory formation

  • does not address how other sensory information is processed, and spatial memory is underdeveloped 

  • The role of the central executive is unclear despite being the most important part of the model. It is impossible to mature its limited capacity separate from the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad

  • unclear how the episodic buffer integrates information from the other components with the LTM is unclear and its role is under developed