Learn for memory test
4 marks - describe wmm
The working memory model was proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974.
It is a model of the short term memory and includes the central executive which then breaks down into other components (which are called slave systems).
All information passes to the Central Executive (CE) which then decides which component should process it. The CE can process information from any of the five senses.
The CE breaks down into 3 sections called the episodic buffer visa-spatial scratchpad and the phonological loop.
The episodic buffer is a temporary storage device used to integrate the information from the VSS and PL - the EB ensures all information from the slave systems links together and forms a cohesive whole which makes sense
The visa-spatial sketchpad/Scratchpad is concerned with visual and spatial information which it organises into separate components. There are two parts to the VSS: the inner scribe which deals with spatial information and the visual cache which stores information about form, shape and colour
The phonological loop holds information in the form of speech/sound. There are two parts to the PL: the phonological store/inner ear which deals with speech perception and the articulatory control process/ inner voice which processes speech production and rehearses verbal information
BREAKDOWN
Baddeley and Hitch
Short term memory broken down - how it splits
Central executive brakes down into:
Episodic buffer:temporary storage for vss and pl
Visa-Spatial sketchpad: Visual and spatial information
Phonological loop: Speech/Sound
2 marks - limitation of the wmm
P: A lack of clarity over the nature of the central executive
E: Baddeley himself recognised this when he said, ‘The central executive is the most important but the least understood component of working memory’
E: The CE needs to be more clearly specified than just simply ‘attention’. For example, Some psychologists believe the CE may consist of seperate subcomponents.
L:This challenges that the CE is an unsatisfactory component and this challenges the integrity of the WMM.
BREAKDOWN
P: Lack of clarity over the nature
E: Baddeley
E: needs to be more Clearly specified
L:Challenges the integrity of the WMM
6 marks - types of ltm
There are three different types of LTM episodic procedural and semantic.
The episodic memory is the part of LTM that relates to experiences a person has had or events from their life. An example of the episodic memory is a 16th birthday party.
The semantic memory is the part of LTM that involves knowing and recalling facts, concepts and meanings. Examples of semantic memory: Knowing that Paris is the capital of France. The Procedural memory is the part of LTM involved in knowing how to do certain actions or skills Examples of procedural memory: Knowing how to ride a bicycle
The capacity and duration of the long term memory is that the capacity is unlimited and duration is up to lifetime but there is no way to test this as people often forget things.
BREAKDOWN
Episodic - events/experiences
Semantic - Recalling facts
Procedural - Actions
12 marks - describe and evaluate the msm
Describe
A stimulus is recognised from the environment and then transferred into the sensory register. The coding is modality selection, the duration is less than Half a second and the capacity is very high.
If attention is payed The stimulus goes to the short term memory where the coding is acoustic, the capacity is limited and the duration is 18 seconds.
With prolonged rehearsal the information will go into the long term memory where the coding is semantic, information can be withheld for a lifetime and the capacity may be infinite.
Strength of the MSM
P: a strength of the MSM is support from other studies showing that the STM and LTM are different
E: Baddeley found that words sound similar can be mixed up in STM, where as words that mean similar things are mixed in LTM
L: These studies clearly show that STM and LTM are independent memory stores
Limitation of MSM
P: One limitation of the MSM is evidence of more than one STM store
E: Shallice and Warrington studied KF who had amnesia - he couldn’t remember what he heard but could what he said.
L: This suggests that the MSM is wrong in claiming that there is just one STM store processing different types of information
P: One limitation of the MSM is that prolonged rehearsal is not needed for the transfer to LTM
E: accoridng to MSM he volume of rehearsal effects the transfer to LTM. Watkins found that the type of rehearsal is more important
L: This suggests that the MSM does not fully explain how long term storage is achieved
BREAKDOWN
Sensory register: modality selection, half a second, very high
Short term memory: acoustic, limited, 18 second
Long term memory: semantic, lifetime, infinite
Strength:
P: STM/LTM different
E: Baddeley words muddled
L: Independent memory stores
Limitation:
P:More than one STM store
E: Shallice and warrington KF amnesia
L: different processes
P: Rehearsal types
E: Volume vs style (watkins)
L: Long term storage achieved