Working Memory Model

The working memory model is an improved version of the short-term memory store in the multi-store model, explaining how the brain holds and works on both auditory and visual information in short-term memory.

Researchers Baddeley and Hitch criticized the short-term memory store for being too simplistic, arguing that it's not a single process and not just a passive store for information.

The working memory model is an active processor, with multiple components working together to process and combine different types of information.

The central executive is the part of the model that pays attention to information from the senses, controlling other components called "sub-systems".

The central executive is limited in how much information it can hold at any one time and can only hold one type of information at a time, but can switch quickly between each type.

The phonological loop is a sub-system that processes auditory information, with a capacity of how much can be said in two seconds.

The phonological loop can be broken down into two sections: the phonological store (inner ear) and the articulatory process (inner voice).

The visuo-spatial sketchpad is another sub-system responsible for processing visual and spatial information, with a capacity limited by the central executive.

The visuo-spatial sketchpad can be broken down into two processes: the visual cache (passive store for forms and color) and the inner scribe (active store for relationships between objects in 3D space).

The episodic buffer is the final part of the model, where information is integrated and stored, and was added to the model by Baddeley in 2000.

The AQA specification requires students to know the features of the working memory model, including coding and capacity, which can be answered using information from any component of the model.

Coding refers to the type of information processed, with the phonological loop being acoustic and the visuo-spatial sketchpad being visual.

Capacity refers to the amount of information that can be held, with the phonological loop being limited to two seconds and the central executive being limited to 4 items plus or minus 1.

Dual task performance studies show that the central executive can help perform multiple tasks by sending information to different sub-systems, but can be overwhelmed if too much of the same type of information is pushed to it.

A dual task performance study by Baddeley found that participants performed better when performing two different tasks, suggesting that the visuo-spatial sketchpad and phonological loop exist as separate processes.

A case study by Shallice and Warrington found that a man with a brain injury had selective impairments to his verbal short-term memory, but not his visual short-term memory, supporting the separation of the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad.

Brain scanning evidence by Prabhakaran shows the physical location of the episodic buffer in the brain, with more activation in the prefrontal cortex when information is integrated.

A study by Baddeley found that people can remember more shorter words than longer words, demonstrating the word length effect and supporting the capacity of the phonological loop as two seconds.

Criticisms of the working memory model include the central executive being poorly defined and acting as a homunculus, but Baddeley suggests this is an opportunity for future research.

The working memory model is more accurate in describing short-term memory than the short-term memory store, especially in describing it as an active processor.- Psychologists have shifted from using the term "short term memory" to "working memory".

Laboratory studies are criticized for having high internal validity but low external validity, making it difficult to apply findings to real-life situations.

Experimental tasks in memory studies often lack mundane realism, meaning they are designed for data collection and differ from how memory is used in everyday life.

Cognitive psychologists use inferences to make educated guesses about underlying mental processes, which may be incorrect.

Inferences are used in working memory studies, and there may be alternative processes that produce the same behaviors, making the working memory model potentially incorrect.

The limitations of the working memory model include its reliance on laboratory studies and inferences, which can lead to inaccurate assumptions about memory processes.