working memory model - baddeley and hitch

Working memory model

• multi component , flexible system

• Made up of central executive + 3 sub systems

• Processes info that we are consciously aware of

Central executive

Controls attention and sub systems

Receives info from sm and allocates it to appropriate sub systems

Processes info in any modality

Capacity = 4 +-1

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Stores and processes visual and spatial info - inner eye

Sets up and manipulates mental images

2 components =

• visual cache - passive store of form + colour

• Inner scribe - active store of spatial arrangements or objects

Episodic buffer

• added in 2000

• Integrates and manipulates info from CE and VSS

• Allows us to work on info

• Limited capacity

Phonological loop

• stores and processes speech + language based info

• Limited capacity - varies from person to person

2 components

• phonological store - stores words recently heard

• Articulatory process - subvocal repetition - maintenance rehearsal

Evaluation of WMM - baddeley dual task

• asked ps to perform 2 tasks at same time

a) 2 visual tasks

B) 1 visual 1 verbal task

• B) performed much better at both tasks

• Both processes compete for same sub system in a) but no comp in b) so shows there must be a separate system that processes visual input

Evaluation of WMM - improvement from MSM

More detailed and realistic version of the STM as it explains dual task performance and is more consistent with real life

Evaluation of WMM - lab experiments

Low ecological validity so cannot be generalised to real world settings

Evaluation of WMM - vagueness of central executive

• Central executive is poorly defined and lacks detail

• Described as generally in charge of attention but how it works is unclear

• May not be a single unit - may be more complex and have sub systems

• Lacks scientific precision