Working Memory Model

Working Memory Model

1. Central Executive

   • Key Component
   • Supervises and co-ordinates information to and from slave systems
   • Very limited capacity
   • It decides what needs to be done and when

2. Phonological Loop

   • Sound
   • Articulatory Loop
     • Active rehearsal system where words are maintained by sub vocal repetition to prevent decay
     • Repeats information from phonological store
     • Inner voice
   • Phonological store
     • Passive storage system
     • Holds spoken information
     • Inner ear

3. Visuo-spatial sketchpad

   • Sight
   • Inner Scribe
     • Active rehearsal system
     • Processes spatial and movement information
   • Visual Cache
     • Passive visual store
     • Stores information about visual form and colour

4. Strengths

   • Baddely and Hitch
     • Research evidence - " Dual task techniques"
     • Participants perform a sentence checking task whilst saying aloud a list of 6 digits
     • Performance not affected because the task required use of 2 different slave systems ( articulatory and visuo spatial sketchpad)
       • Supports WMM because it suggests the existence of different components within the STM
   • Shallice and Warrington
     • Case study of KF
     • KF was a brain damaged patient. His problem was with the immediate recall of words presented verbally but not with visual information
       • This suggest that he has an impaired articulatory loop
         • Therefore this supports the WMM because it suggest the existence of different components within the STM

5. Weaknesses

   • WMM is still under developed
     • We know very little about the central executive which is the most important aspect
     • Simplistic and Vague
     • This is a weakness because if the model is still under developed then it can't give a complete explanation of how the STM works
   • Berz
     • Model has been critised by berz in terms of musical memory
     • This is because we are able to listen to instrumental music without impairing on other acoustic tasks.
       • This is a weakness because they are both from the same slave system and the WMM states they can't do, two things from the same slave system at the same time.