the working memory model

what is the WMM

an explanation of how the STM is organised and how it functions

what are the 4 main components of the WMM

central executive

phonological loop

visuo-spatial sketchpad

episodic buffer

what is the central executive

an attentional process that monitors incoming data, makes decisions and allocates slave system to tasks

very limited processing capacity

what is the function of the phonological loop

it deals with auditory information and preserves the order in which the information arrives

coding is acoustic

what are the two subdivisions of the PL and their functions

the phonological store - stores words you hear

the articulatory process - allows maintenance rehearsal, capacity is believed to be 2 seconds worth of what you can say

what is the function of the visuo-spatial sketchpad

it stores visual and/or spatial information when required (e.g. can visualize objects)

limited capacity (around 3/4 objects)

what 2 subdivisions of the VSS did Logie identify and their functions

the visual cache - stores visual data

the inner scribe - records the arrangement of objects in the visual field

what is the function of the episodic buffer

it is a temporary store for information

integrates the visual, spatial and verbal information processed by other stores and maintains a sense of time sequencing

seen as the storage component of the central executive

limited capacity of about 4 chunks

links the working memory to LTM and wider cognitive processes (e.g. perception)

how does the Shallice and Warrington’s case study of KF support the WMM

after brain damage KF had poor STM ability for verbal information but could process visual information normally presented visually

suggests that his phonological loop had been damaged leaving the other areas of memory intact - supports the existence of separate visual and acoustic stores

how does dual task performance support the separate existence of the VSS

Baddeley showed that participants had more difficulty doing two visual tasks than doing both a visual and verbal task at the same time - because both visual tasks are competing for the same slave system

means there must be separate slave systems that process the visual and verbal input