Working Memory Model

Central Executive

Episodic Buffer

Visuo-spatial Sketchpad

Phonological Loop

Articulatory Control System

Phonological Store

Language Episodic LTM Visual Semantics

Long Term Knowledge

Auditory Store; Rehearses sound-based info to prevent decay

Verbal Rehearse system; prevents decay of verbal material

Deals with the perception of sound and speech

Controls activity in the other components

Stores and manipulates visual information

Retrieves information from the LTM

Verbal rehearsal is not necessary for all types of information - just verbal strings. This fits better with out everyday experience.

Evaluation

High in face validity (plausibility) - fits with our everyday experience of manipulating information when solving problems. Presents the STM as a process, rather than a store and shows it to be a more complete system than the MSM.

Functions of the central executive are vague and difficult to test.

If two tasks use the same component, they cannot be successfully be performed together. However, if two tasks use different components, they can be successfully performed together. There is support for this from dual-task studies.

It is not a comprehensive model of memory as it does not include sensory memory or much information about LTM and the processes with it.