Evaluating the working memory model

?

Evaluating the working memory model

Advantages

  • Clinical evidence - KF case study: he could not process auditory information but could process visual information. This supports the WMM as it shows there are separate stores for processing these different types of information.
  • Dual task performance - supports the existence of the visuospatial sketch pad. Baddeley made participants do a visual and a verbal task simultaneously, and then two visual simultaneously, then two verbal simultaneously. Participants performed poorly when the tasks were using the same system, as they were using the same resources. This shows that there is a separate system for visual tasks and for verbal tasks.

Disadvantages

  • Countering clinical evidence - it is unclear whether KF had other cognitive impairments than just damage to his phonological loops which may have affected his motor skills. This goes against the WMM as brain injuries may have affected multiple systems in the brain.
  • Nature of the CE - the central executive is not developed as the WMM identifies it solely as attention. This is not a satisfactory part of the WMM and is a limitation.
  • External validity - tasks in the studies are artificial and do not replicate real life. This limits the WMM.

Evaluation

Overall the WMM is more complete than the MSM, but has its own strengths and limitations. 

Comments

No comments have yet been made