the working memory model (STM)

the working memory model (STM)

1. the central executive

   • 1. limited capacity 2. allocates slave systems 3. decides what to pay attention to
   • phonological loop
     • auditory info preserves order of info arrival
     • phonological stores
       • stores words you hear encodes accoustically capacity 2 secs
       • articulatory control process
         • allows mantinence rehersal to keep words in wmm
   • episodic buffer
     • 3rd slave system combines visual and spatial
   • visual spatial sketchpad
     • 1. 2nd slave system 2. temp store for visual and spatial items 3. helps you picture things and navigate surroundings
     • the visual cache
       • stores visual data
       • inner scribe
         • recordes the arrangement of objects visually
   • LONG TERM MEMORY

2. dual task studies Baddely and Hitch (1976)

   • AIM: to see if participents can use different parts on WM at the same time
   • METHOD: participents asked to perform 2 tasks at the same time . A digit span task and a verbal reasoning task
   • RESULTS: as the number of digits increased, particpents took longer on reasoning, but not much longer (fractions of a second) and they made no verbal errors
   • CONCLUSION: verbal reasoning made use of central executive and digit span made use of the phonological loop
   • this SUPPORTS WMM as it shows the INDIVIDUAL STORES. because theyre doing tasks which require different stores can work simulaniousley
     • E.G. reading and walking is hard because they require the same PERFORMANCE SUFFERS, but walking and listening use different stores, so PERFORMANCE REMAINS OKAY

3. case studies

   • The case of KF
     • had a motorcycle accident and got brain damage. STM WAS DAMAGED. he ONLY had problems with verbal info, his visual info was not affected
       • phonological loop was damaged
       • this supports WMM as it shows there are different stores in the STM. and shows STM is more complex than the MSM implies
       • case studies CANT be generalised
   • Gathorole and baddley
     • found that participents found it hard to track a point of light on a screen and describe the angles in a capitol "F" at the same time. As BOTH tasks required VISUAL-SPATIAL sketch pad

4. Evaluation

   • P. lack of clarity of the CE E. many psychologists believe that the explanation of the Ce presented by Baddley and Hitch is unsatisfactory. The CE is the most important part, but has a lack or research/ evidence
   • p. research support. E. the WMM is supported by a huge variety of studies and research. Baddley and Hitch, Dual task studies and case studies EG case of KF. E. this increases the validity of the study as it has more research as evidence supporting the study
   • P. Brain scan evidence E. Braver (1997) gave participents taskes involving the CE whilst having a brain scan. they found the PRE FRONTAL CORTEX was more active and the acticity increased as task difficulty increased. and as the demands on the CE increase it works harder to do its job. E. lab study, high control and replicable, its scientific so its subjective and factual
   • P. WMM VS MSM E. WMM develpos the MSM giving us a clearer and more in depth sccount of the STM. The WMM shows that the STM processes info and dosent just store info (baddley and hitch dual task) showing the seperate systems in the STM