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The Working Memory Model - Coggle Diagram
The Working Memory Model
AO1
Baddeley and Hitch proposed model to give a better understanding of STM/ emphasises active processing that happens rather than seeing it as one single store (like MSM). Is a model of STM only.
Central Executive
imited capacity - has to give tasks and co-ordinate ones to give out to slave systems. Is the 'boss'
Visuo-spatial Sketchpad
Deals with visual info, like shape, size, colour (anything seen).
Spatial is how we estimate space between objects, e.g. parking.
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Episodic Buffer
Integrates info into single 'episode'. Added later because realised there needed to be a general store space, is an extra storage area and integrates info from the other 3 (and LTM).
Phonological Loop
Limited capacity, deals with verbal and acoustic info.
Phonological store = 'inner ear', what you hear, holds it, like in a convo.
Articulatory control system = 'inner voice', used for words that are heard or seen which are silently repeated (looped), an inner voice used for completing maintenance rehearsal.
AO3
Strength
there is evidence from dual task studies which supports the model and implies that it is easier to do two tasks at the same time if they used different processing systems than if they used the same slave system, comparison with the multi-store model and they could suggest that the working memory model gives a better account of the short term memory
There is physiological evidence to support the working memory model. For example, PET scans have shown that different areas of the brain are used whilst undertaking visual and verbal tasks which may correspond to the visuo-spatial sketchpad and phonological loop of working memory model. This is positive as it provides objective and scientific support for the view that visual and verbal material is dealt with by separate structures that may even be physically separate. Therefore, this increases the credibility of the working memory model as an accurate representation of memory.
Weakness
little is known about how the central executive works or evidence from brain studies suggesting the central executive is not unitary
the link between the working memory and the long term memory is not fully explained
A weakness of the working memory model is that it fails to account for musical memory. Evidence for this comes from Berz (1995) who demonstrated that participants could listen to instrumental music (music without words) without impairing performance on other acoustic tasks. This is problematic because it appears that 2 auditory tasks can be completed at the same time. According to the working memory model we would expect participants to not be able to complete both tasks as they would use the same store. Therefore, it could be said that memory is more complicated than the working memory model suggests.