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working memory model 16 marker
16 marker on the working memory model of memory for aqa a level psychology
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Discuss the working memory model.The working memory model is Baddeley and Hitches’ proposal for the explanation of how
the short-term memory is organised and functions. The WMM is concerned with the ‘mental
space’ that is active when we are temporarily storing and manipulating information, for
example when we are working on an arithmetic problem. It is believed to consist of 3
components: the central executive, the visuo-spatical sketch pad and the phonological
loop. Plus, the temporary store that processes specific types of information; the episodic buffer.
They are all quantitively different especially in terms of coding and capacity.
The central executive has ‘supervisory role’ as it monitors incoming data, focuses, and divides
our attention and allocated subsystems to tasks. It has limited processing capacity and does not
store information. The visuo-spatial sketchpad handles non-phonological information and is a
temporary store for visual and spatial items and the relationship between them. The VSS helps
individuals navigate around and interact with their physical environment. For example, if you
are asked to work out how many windows there are on your house you visualise it. It also has
limited capacity. The episodic buffer is third subsystem in which temporarily store information,
integrating the visual, spatial and verbal information processed by other stores and maintaining
a sense of time sequencing. It can be seen as the storage component of the central executive
and has a limited capacity of about 4 chunks. The episodic buffer links working memory to long-
term memory and wider cognitive process such as perception. Finally, the phonological loop
deals with auditory information and the order of information. It has limited capacity
determined by the amount of information that can be spoken out loud in about 2 seconds.
One strength of the working memory model is clinical evidence. This is because there is support
from tim shallice and Elizabeth Warrington case study where a patient after his brain surgery
had poor STM ability for auditory information but could process visual information
normally. Therefore, demonstrating that the patients phonological loop was damaged but his
visuo spatical sketchpad was intact. Therefore, demonstrating the existence of separate visual
and acoustic memory stores as in the working memory model theory. However, his evidence
can be criticised as it is unclear whether the patient had other cognitive impairment which
might have affected his performance on memory tasks. For example the injury was caused by a
motor cycle accident and therefore the trauma involved may have affected
his cognitive performance quite apart from any brain injury. This shows that this patient may
not give a clear example of the separate compartments as in the working memory model as
other variables were involved.
On the other hand, another strength of the working memory model is that dual- task
performance support that the separate exitance of the visuo-spatical sketchpad.
When Baddeley’s participants carried out a visual and verbal task at the same time their
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