Baddeley and Hitch's Working Memory Model

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz

Study Flashcards

Spaced Repetition

Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the primary role of the central executive in Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory model?

To manipulate visual data
To control attention and prioritize tasks (correct)
To store auditory information
To facilitate long-term memory retrieval

Which of the following components is NOT part of Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory model?

Visuospatial sketchpad
Long-term storage module (correct)
Episodic buffer
Phonological loop

How does the episodic buffer improve Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model?

By integrating information from slave systems and long-term memory (correct)
By providing a linear storage system
By isolating verbal processing completely
By enhancing the capacity of the central executive

What evidence supports the existence of the separate systems in the working memory model?

<p>Participants perform visual and verbal tasks with minimal interference (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key limitation of the central executive in Baddeley and Hitch's model?

<p>Its precise nature and functioning are not well understood (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Central Executive

A central control system within Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model that manages attention, prioritizes tasks, and integrates information from different sources. It oversees the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.

Phonological Loop

A component of working memory responsible for processing auditory and verbal information, like remembering a phone number or repeating a list of words.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

A component of working memory involved in processing visual and spatial information, such as mentally rotating an object or remembering the layout of a room.

Episodic Buffer

A later addition to Baddeley and Hitch's model. It acts as a temporary storage space for information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and long-term memory. It integrates this information for a more comprehensive understanding.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Dual-task experiment

A type of experiment where participants are asked to perform two tasks simultaneously. This helps researchers determine whether the two tasks rely on the same cognitive resources or separate ones.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

Baddeley and Hitch's Working Memory Model

Baddeley and Hitch's model (1974) proposes a multi-component system for working memory, improving on the short-term memory concept.
The model's central executive is a supervisory system, controlling attention, prioritization, and integrating information.
The central executive manages two "slave systems": the phonological loop (verbal/auditory) and visuospatial sketchpad (visual/spatial).
A later addition, the episodic buffer, acts as a multimodal storage system, connecting information from slave systems to long-term memory.
The central executive is thought to be limited in capacity, crucial for complex tasks like problem-solving.
Dual-task experiments show these separate systems, with minimal interference between visual and verbal tasks.
The central executive's exact nature and neurological location remain unclear, defined broadly.
Though unspecified, the model is influential in explaining cognitive processes, exceeding the older short-term memory theory.