Working Memory Model Baddeley and Hitch (1974) Developed after the MSM, the working memory model suggests that memory is an active process. It comprises three main parts (we are ignoring the episodic buffer, added later).

The Working Memory Model Responsible for giving attention to information from the other two stores making decisions about which information is the most important Rehearsal occurs between the central executive and the other stores. The visuo-spatial scratchpad is known as the “inner eye” and is specialised for spatial and visual coding. The phonological loop is known as the “inner voice” and holds information in a speech based form; it has a limited capacity. The Episodic buffer was added in 2000 as a 3rd slave system to explain how it is possible to temporarily store information combined together from CE,PL,VSS

What’s what? Match the bullet points to the relevant part of the WMM Decides where to focus cognitive effort Is the ‘inner eye’ Is the ‘inner ear’ Is the ‘inner voice’ Concerned with verbal information Concerned with visual information Is concerned with shapes, colours, position Is encoded acoustically Has a limited capacity Also has a limited capacity of 3-4 items Keeps information in the phonological store Also has limited capacity Corsi test can be used to measure the capacity

Strengths of the WMM Much more detailed information about the processes involved inshort term memory making it superior to the multi-store model in this respect (less reductionist) Brain scans (PET scans) have shown that a different area of the brain is active when carrying out verbal tasks than when carrying out visual tasks. This supports the idea that there are different parts of memory for visual and verbal tasks. Highlights that memory is an active process rather than being passive. It has a practical application to the real world-dyslexia can affect either the phonological loop or the visuo-spatial scratchpad and therefore strategies can be put into place to help with reading and writing. Lots of research evidence to support (Baddeley (1986)) The case study of K.F – after brain damage from a motorbike accident his memory for verbal information was impaired, but his memory of visual information was unaffected.

Weaknesses of the WMM It only looks at short term memory- there is no explanation about how information is transferred between short and long term memory. It has highlighted the role of sensory memory but ignored most of the senses- e.g- touch, smell, taste Very little is known about the decision making activities of the central executive.