WMM

what is WMM

extension of the MSM, how the STM processes information being recieved.

Baddeley and Hitch 1974

• to understand STM

• STM is seen as an active processor or workplace

five components

central executive

—> visuospatial sketchpad (VSS) OR phonological loop (PL)

—> episodic buffer

—> LTM

what is central executive

allocates attention to specific tasks, supervises/ co-ordinates slave systems (sub groups), no memories held only attention

CE encoding and capacity

encoding: modality free

capacity: limited

CE research

BADDELEY

asked ppts to randomly type on a keyboard with no pattern whilst either 1. reciting alphabet 2. counting from one 3. alternate between letters and numbers. found typing no words was harder in condition 3

CE strengths

• practical application, could explain attention deficit disorders like ADHD

• backed by research

CE weakness

• vague, difficult to test, mechanically reductionist

• could have sub components, under researched

VSS meaning

visual and spatial information (appearance and layout) 1. visual cache function: visual form/colour/features 2. inner scribe function: spacial/location/mapping/movement

VSS encoding and capacity

encoding- visual/ spacial

capacity- limited

VSS research

GATHEROLE AND BADDELEY 1993

ppts given visual tracing task, whilst doing either 1. describe all angles on letter F or 2. verbal task (PL). easier doing vs+pl compared to vs+vs

VSS strength

research support

explains STM patterns

practical applications; neuropsychology

useful, cognitive tasks

VSS weakness

vague, oversimplified, mechanically reductionist

limited applications

capacity issues unclear, limit?

PL meaning

deals with auditory (sound) information, preserves the order of information

• phonological store function- holds words you hear for 1.5 - 2 seconds

• articulatory loop function- used to rehearse verbal info from PL and decays in 1 - 2 seconds

PL encoding and capacity

capacity- limited, approx 2 second

encoding- auditory (sound)

PL research

BADDELEY 1975

ppts given list of words, short and long, and they recalled more short words. found that the PL can hold no. of items said in 2 seconds. short words can be said more frequently than long words

PL strengths

research support

practical evaluation eg. teacher training

PL weakness

difficult concept to test

EB (2000s) meaning

integrates information from a range of sources into a single complex structure or episode. acts as an intermediary between sub systems combining them into a unitary multi dimensional representation, fills gaps in the MSM

EB encoding and capacity

encoding- multimodal

capacity- limited, approx 4 chunks of info

EB research

ALKHAKIFA 2009

case study involving severely impaired LTM patient, with exeptionally high STM capacity. could recall 25 items, significantly exceeding typical capacity of the PL and VSS meaning there must be another store

EB strengths

explains limitations of MSM, how we combine verbal and visual info, or recall complex events

practical evaluations, eg. recall of episodes

supported by research

EB weakness

vague

estimated capacity

hard to isolate experimentally

WMM strengths

• memory is active not passive, works differently than MSM

• scientific adaptability

• backed by research

WMM weakness

• unobservable

• mechanically reductionist

• reliance on lab study, low ecological validity