Working memory model

Parts of Working Memory Model

• Central executive

• Visuospatial sketchpad

• Episodic buffer

• Phonological loop

Concept of WMM

Baddeley and Hitch’s (1974) Working memory was developed as a new approach to understanding how short term memory works

It tries to overcome some of the weaknesses of the multi store model as it accounts for the evidence that STM is not a single unitary store

STM is instead seen as an active processor or a workspace in which we carry out various tasks using old and new memories due to the ability for each of the multiple components to link to LTM

Central executive

• Controls where attention is directed (the boss)

• Capacity= Limited

• Drives the system, decides how attention is directed

• Allocates the resources to the ‘slave system’ (depending on what you’re focusing on)

• No permanent storage capacity

• Has limited capacity so cannot attend to many things at once

• Research- Bungle (2000) experiment in 2000 where MRI scanner saw what part of the brain were most active when performing tasks, more brain activity when 2 tasks were performed showing increased demand for attention.

  Shows locations in the brain are for different things

Strengths and weaknesses of Central Executive

+Description of the different STM processes and how they are coordinated, most important and flexible component, explains different memory functions

-Central executive is very vague in its explanation and processes we really do not know much about it. Further, the model suggests there to be one single CE, which is unlikely, it is more likely for the CE to have several components which are not factored in by this model

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

• Encoding= visual and spatial information

• Capacity= approx 3-4 objects

• slave system 1, holds visual and spatial (relationship between things) information for a very short time

• Visual Cache Function- Stores visual information

• Inner Scribe Function- Records arrangement of objects

• Research- Brookes (1968) Mentally visualise a letter and then asked questions and asked to respond in different ways, faster responses when spoken or tapping rather then visual response (point to yes or no)

• Shows that they have the same limited capacity component, visualising and speaking is easier to do at the same time as they’re different stores

Strengths and weaknesses of Visuo-spatial Sketchpad

+Explains how visual information can be processed at the same time as auditory, explains processes of STM such as maintenance rehearsal. Research to support

-The model implies that all information starts as visual and then turns spatial, however this is unlikely to be the case all of the time. Lieberman (1980) argues that blind people have excellent spatial awareness although they have never received any visual information

Based on this, Lieberman suggests that VVS should be separated into two different components, one for visual and one for spatial

Phonological loop

• Encoding= auditory and order

• Capacity= 2 seconds

• Slave system 2, auditory information and limited capacity

• Phonological store Function- Inner ears, a store of the words you hear

• Articulatory Loop Function- Inner voice, allows rehearsal of heard words, so that they stay in your memory

• Research- Baddeley (1975) found that participants recalled more short words in serial order than longer words

• Shows that capacity of the phonological loop is set y how long it takes to say words rather than actual number of words recalled

Strengths and Weaknesses of Phonological Loop

+Evidence support explains how someone can process auditory information at the same time as visual information in STM, explains processes like maintenance rehearsal

-Vague description of Phonological store, connection to CE not fully explained

Episodic Buffer

• Encoding- Visual and acoustic

• Capacity- 4 chunks of information

• Temporary store that links to LTM with general storage space, integrates the visual, spatial and verbal info from the central executive, the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad and the long term memory

• Research- Alkhakifa (2009) Patient with severe impaired LTM demonstrated a STM capacity of 25 items

• Shows that information can go into the general storage if unable to go to LTM

Strengths and weaknesses of Episodic Buffer

+Explains where memories retrieved from LTM and stored, explains complex processes in WMM then original model couldn’t explain

-The episodic buffer has little information and is not understood fully, due to being added to the WMM a later date, research is still in its infancy related to the Episodic Buffer, This lack of research and understanding impacts the credibility of this slave system

Evaluation points of WMM

Research support +

Scientific research +

Artificial lab experiment -

Theoretic flaws -

Practical applications +

Contradictory research -