COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - the working memory model

DESCRIBE THE WORKING MEMORY MODEL

DESCRIBE THE PHONOLOGICAL LOOP?

WHAT WAS BADDELY, THOMSON AND BUCHANAN EVIDENCE FOR THE PHONOLOGICAL LOOP?

WHAT DID THEY FIND?

WHAT DID THEY CONCLUDE?

Limited capacity - temporary storage system for holding verbal information in speech based form

2 conditions - list contained five familiar one syllable words / five polysallabic words

Superiority for shorter words - 'word length effect'

capcity of loop determined by length of time it takes to say words

DESCRIBE THE VISUO-SPATIAL SKETCHPAD

WHAT WAS BADDELY, GRANT, WIGHT AND THOMSON'S EVIDENCE FOR THE VSS?

WHAT DID THEY CONCLUDE?

Temporary memory system for holding visual and/or spatial information - limited capacity

Gave participants tracking task, and simultaneous visual imagery task

Difficult to track spot of light as well as classify corners - two tasks competing for the same limited resources of VSS  - supported by the fact participants were able to carry out tracking task at the same time as performing verbal task

DESCRIBE THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE

WHAT ARE THE STREGTHS OF THE WORKING MEMORY MODEL?

WHAT ARE THE WEAKNESSES OF THE WORKING MEMORY MODEL?

Has overall control - limited capacity - process information from any sensory store

• A lot of research evidence (e.g. VSS - Baddely / PL - Baddly)
• KF supports the WWM of more than one STM store
• Doesn't rely on rehersal
• Emphaises on process more than MSM

• Knowledge of centeral executive is vague
• Maybe more than one centeral executive
• Difficult to make before and after comparisons with brain damaged patients