2.2 Working Memory Model

Working Memory model summary

-Proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974)

-The WMM shows that the STM can be divided into distinct components

-The WMM explains memories related to working on tasks that require immediate information formation

-There are 4 main components

Central Executive

The role of the central executive is to focus attention on the most important tasks that need attending to in the current moment

The CE coordinates the PL, VSS and EB.

Phonological Loop

Responsible for coordinating auditory information, coding in the PL is acoustic.

Phonological store- stores spoken words

Articulatory Process- stores written words (inner voice)

Words are repeated in a loop as part of maintenance rehearsal

Visuo-spatial Sketchpad

Responsible for storing visual/spatial information

• Stored temporarily

• limited capacity

Visual cache- component stores visual data

Inner scribe- component stores the arrangement of objects within the visual field of view

Episodic Buffer

Receives information from the CE, PL and VSS and integrates information into ‘episodes’ this allows it to become time sequenced.

• Stored temporarily

• Capacity is limited

Strengths of WMM

- Case study of KF: KF suffered a brain injury where his STM was severely impaired

KF struggled to process verbal information but his ability to recall visual information was unaffected, proving there are different ‘slave systems’ for verbal and visual info.

-Baddeley carried out a task where participants had to perform a digit span task and a verbal reasoning task at the same time. As the number of digits increased, participants took longer to answer the true or false questions. Baddeley concluded that the verbal reasoning task used the CE and the digit span task used the PL.

Limitations of the WMM

-Lack of detail on role of the CE, may be more components

-Dual task performance effect relies on highly controlled lab conditions using tasks unrelated to real life situations- low ecological validity.