Working Memory Model (WMM)

What is the working memory model?

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

This model suggests that STM consists of a number of different stores rather than a single store. 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

Describe or draw the WMM?

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 (aka CEO)

  • most important 

  • directs attention towards a task

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

  • allocates sensory information to the sub-systems based on the modality (e.g. auditory, visual) 

  • receives information from the sub-systems once it has been processed by them

• capacity: limited (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 that rely on schemas in LTM

• 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?

phonological store and articulatory control system

What is the phonological store?

• aka inner ear

• passive system

• capacity: limited

• Function: Temporarily holds verbal and auditory information

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

Example: Hearing a phone number and briefly remembering it.

What is the articulatory control system?

• aka inner voice

• active system

• Function: Actively rehearses and refreshes information in the phonological store to prevent decay

• converts written text into a phonological code through subvocalization (silently pronouncing words in your head)

• Also responsible for producing speech

Example: Repeating a phone number in your head to remember 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 WMM

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

• capacity: limited

What are the 2 types of processing in the visuospatial sketchpad?

visual and spatial processing

Visual Processing

interpreting what things look like

Spatial Processing

the ability to tell where objects are in space and the relationship between things 

e.g. how far the baseball is in relation to your body, finding your way around the house

What is the episodic buffer?

• temporarily holds several sources of active information (auditory, visual, information from the LTM) simultaneously while you consider what is relevant in the present situation

• integrates information to create a memory trace

• modality free

• capacity: limited

1 study that support the WMM

landry and bartling (2011), Dual-task techniques, Word length effect, Case of K.F

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 measure 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