The three-store STM stemmed from research using a 'dual-task technique' (or 'interference tasks'), whereby performance is measured as participants perform two tasks simultaneously. The following observations provided evidence to suggest different, limited-capacity STM stores process different types of memory:
- If one store is utilised for both tasks, then task performance is poorer than when they are completed separately, due to the store's limited capacity. For example, repeating "the the the" aloud and reading some text silently would use the articulatory-phonological loop for both tasks, slowing performance.
- If the tasks require different stores, performance would be unaffected when performing simultaneously. For example, repeating "the the the" aloud whilst performing a reasoning task (requiring attention, i.e. the central executive), or whilst following a mobile stimulus with your eyes (using the visuo-spatial sketchpad).
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