working memory model and the multi-store model of memory

working memory model:

Central executive -

  • allocated resources dependent on cognitive demands, controls the other subsystems but it cannot dual task

  • drives the whole system and allocates to subsystems

  • acts as a filter and determines what information will or will not be attended to

  • restricts conscious awareness to 2 items

Phonological loop -

  • temporary acoustic storage system for auditory and verbal information that we use to repeat information or store words before we speak.

  • it contains two subsystems -

    • the phonological store - represents auditory information in terms of pitch and loudness (also called the inner ear)

    • the articulatory process holds words for sub-vocal repetition to prevent decay (also called the inner voice)

Visual-spatial sketchpad -

  • rehearses visual and/or spatial information. It is also called the inner eye.

  • has a limited capacity, but the limits of the subsystems are independent

  • it is subdivided into two subsystems -

    • visual cache - stores visual information (e.g. form and colour)

    • inner scribe - stores information about spatial relationships

Episodic buffer -

  • sends information to the LTM

  • binds information together from different sources into ‘chunks’ or ‘episodes’

  • recalls information from the LTM and integrates into STM when working memory requires it to

Evaluation of the working memory:

Hitch and Baddeley’s (1975) Dual Task Experiments

Studies of dual-task performance support the separate existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Baddeley showed that participants had more difficulty doing 2 visual tasks than doing both a visual and verbal task at the same time. This increased difficulty is because both visual tasks compete for the same subsystem, wheras when doing a visual and verbal task, both the phonological and visuo-spatial subsystems are used. This means that there must be a separate subsystem that processes the visual input, and can only focus on one item at any one time.

Shallice and Warrington (1970) Case Study of K.F

K.F

Implies that the phonological loop is damaged because he couldn’t remember verbal items. The visuo-spatial sketchpad is intact because the visual store is fine. This shows that there are two different processors of STM.