THE WORKING MEMORY MODEL Baddeley and Hitch, 1974

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THE WORKING MEMORY MODELBaddeley and Hitch, 1974
PHONOLOGICAL LOOP
VISUO-SPATIAL SKETCHPAD
Articulatory processes
Visuo-spatial processes
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The Matrix Task (Brooks)
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In the next square down put a 2. In the next
square left put a 3
In the next square good put a 2. In the next
square luck put a 3
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The Matrix Task (Brooks)
Recall of instructions
Recall of spatial instructions
Recall of verbal instructions
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Effect of Secondary Tracking Task
Recall of instructions
Spatial Verbal Spatial Verbal
WITHOUT TRACKING WITH TRACKING
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Nature of the Active Process

• Concreteness
• - concrete words are recalled better than
  abstract words (Paivio, 1972).
• Pegword Method
• - relies on the formation of images to
  associated target items with concrete items.

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Dual Task MethodologyBaddeley Lieberman, 1980
Logie, 1986
Word recall
1 task
Imagery Words (pegword) (rote
repetition)
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Nature of the Active Process

• Concreteness
• - concrete words are recalled better than
  abstract words (Paivio, 1972).
• Pegword Method
• - relies on the formation of images to
  associated target items with concrete items.

• Dual Task Methodology
• - spatial and visual tasks impair the efficiency
  of the pegword method (Baddeley Lieberman,
  1980 Logie, 1986).

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Independence of the Slaves
Word recall
Rote Repetition Imagery
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So What?Importance of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

• PATIENT ELD
• Acquisition of new visual information ie., faces
• Acquisition of new spatial information ie.,
  locations and directions
• Independence of processing of visuo-spatial
  information and phonological information

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A Role of the Central ExecutiveA Supervisory
Attentional System (SAS)

• The CE as a regulator of processing
• The CE as a controller of actions (Shallice,
  1982)
• - contentional scheduling of practised actions
• - conscious control of new or novel actions
• The CE as the point of retrieval from long term
  memory
• The CE as a seat of consciousness

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The Working Memory Model - Summary

• STM is an active system
• STM is a multi-component system
• - A central executive A phonological loop A
  visuo-spatial sketchpad
• Each slave has both a passive, limited store and
  an active process
• Each slave process has been described by the use
  of dual-task methodology
• The WM model is a flexible and versatile
  contributor to everyday tasks.