Working Memory Model
The Working Memory Model
- The Working Memory Model (WMM) was proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
- The WMM is a response to the over-simplification of short-term memory in the multi-store model
- It is a model of short-term memory
What are the components of the WMM?
Central executive
- This controls the WMM rather like the ‘boss’ in a business
- All information passes to the Central Executive (CE) which then decides which component should process it
- The components can only communicate with each other via the CE: they cannot ‘talk’ to each other
- The CE is modality free: this means it can process information from any of the 5 senses (auditory, visual etc.)
- It can be inferred from research (Robbins et al. 1996) that the CE may be involved in highly complex tasks such as playing chess
Phonological loop
- The phonological loop (PL) 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
- There is more known about this component than any of the others as it is the easiest of the slave systems to test
Visuo-spatial sketchpad/scratchpad
- The visuospatial sketchpad (VSS) is concerned with visual and spatial information which it organises into separate components
- The VSS also known as the inner eye
- 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
Episodic buffer
- The episodic buffer (EB) was added to the WMM in 2000
- The EB is a temporary storage device used to integrate information from the VSS and PL
- The EB ensures that all the information from the slave systems links together and forms a cohesive whole which makes sense
Research support for the WMM
Dual-task studies
- Dual-task studies
- Baddeley and Hitch (1976) and Robbins et al. (1996): two tasks are possible at the same time if they use different slave systems e.g. the PL and the VSS: attempting two tasks using one slave system overloads that system
- The case study of brain-damaged patient KF (Shallice & Warrington, 1970)
Evaluation of the WMM
Strengths:
- It extends on the work of the MSM and explains the complexity of STM with the tasks it can perform
- Research on dual tasks (Baddeley 1973) supports the idea of separate components and how they can be overloaded
Limitations:
- The WMM is vague on the link between STM and LTM
- It is difficult to measure the CE which means that not much is actually known about it (although this may well change as more research is conducted on it)
Exam Tip
- If you draw the model in the exam it will help you to answer the question and may well earn you more marks
- Be clear and straightforward in your explanation of how information is processed in the model