working memory model: central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer. Features of the model: coding and capacity.

What is the Working Memory Model (WMM)?

• Proposed by Baddeley and Hitch.
• STM consists of multiple components.
• Working memory is an active processing system.

What is the Central Executive?

• Attention controller of working memory.
• Directs information to slave systems.
• Monitors incoming information.

Features of the Central Executive

• Very limited capacity.
• Modality free.
• Processes all types of information.

What is the Phonological Loop?

• Processes verbal and auditory information.
• Uses acoustic coding.

What are the Two Parts of the Phonological Loop and What do They do?

• Phonological store stores words and sounds that are heard.
• Articulatory process rehearses information using inner voice.

Features of the Phonological Loop

• Acoustic coding.
• Limited capacity.
• Processes speech-based information.

What is the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS)?

• Processes visual and spatial information.
• Uses visual and spatial coding.

What are the Two Parts of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad and What do They do?

• Visual cache stores visual information.
• Inner scribe deals with spatial relationships and movement.

Features of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

• Visual and spatial coding.
• Limited capacity.
• Processes images and movement.

What is the Episodic Buffer?

• Integrates information from different components.
• Links working memory with long-term memory.

Features of the Episodic Buffer

• Multi-modal coding.
• Limited capacity around 4 chunks.
• Combines information into single episodes.

Baddeley et al. — Aim

• Investigated capacity of working memory using dual-task performance.

Baddeley et al. — Procedure

• Participants completed two visual tasks simultaneously.
• Compared performance on similar and different tasks.

Baddeley et al. — Findings

• Performance worse when tasks used same component.
• Supports separate slave systems with limited capacity.

KF Case Study — Procedure

• KF suffered brain damage affecting STM.

KF Case Study — Findings

• Verbal STM damaged but visual STM remained normal.
• Supports separate STM components.

WMM Evaluation — Dual Task Research Support

• People perform verbal and visual tasks together more easily than two visual tasks.
• Supports separate slave systems.

WMM Evaluation — KF Case Study Support

• Different STM abilities damaged separately.
• Supports multiple STM stores.

WMM Evaluation — Central Executive Lacks Clarity

• Role of central executive not fully understood.
• Too vague and difficult to measure.

WMM Evaluation — Real World Application

• Useful for understanding memory problems.
• Applied to multitasking and cognitive rehabilitation.