Memory

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Memory

• An explanation of the Working memory model.

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A diagram...what the hell is this???
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Psychologist
The information needs Visual skills that only
psychologists have.

Central executive assigns the information to the
relevant dept/person for the job. But it can only
do this one piece of information at a time- It
has a limited capacity (like the STM!)
Counsellor
Politician
This information needs a good listener someone
with auditory skills..
This information requires phonological attention.
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All as one!

• All of the centres work together to process the
  information.
• But the central executive has overall
  responsibility for control processes e.g.
• Setting tasks
• Planning co-ordinating the activity that needs
  to e carried out.
• Switching attention between tasks.
• Thus you could name the central executive the fat
  controller.

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Phonological Loop

• Known by some as the inner voice-

It has a limited capacity with only temporary
storage for holding verbal information (spoken).
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Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad.

• Also known as the inner eye again like the
  phonological loop it has a limited capacity a
  temporary storage system for holding visual
  (seen) and spatial
  information.

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Working memory model

• Therefore we have established the Phonological
  loop and Visuo spatial Sketchpad are slave
  systems that support the central executive.
• Their space can be used and freed up, thus
  supporting the demands of information processing
  tasks.
• However it is important to remember the slave
  systems have separate responsibilities and work
  independently of one another.

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Is there any evidence to support the different
stores?

• In short...there have been a number of studies
  that have strived to support the model. What is
  needed is
• An understanding of the research.
• Methodological Issues.
• Ethical Issues.

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Evidence- Visuo scratchpad.

• Conrad (1964)- When presenting Ps with visual
  letters they become muddled when asked to recall
  similar sounding letters immediately e.g. s
  f.
• Baddeley (2003)-Visualising American football
  game whilst driving. He found the car began to
  swerve.
• McClelland et al (2006)-Imagine fav foods whilst
  forehead tracking (tapping an imaginary line
  across the forehead follow fingers with eyes.)
• Each of the above found the tasks difficult as
  two things at once on one store impairs
  performance!

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Evidence-Central Executive.

• Imbo et al (2007)- Changing difficulty of sums.
  He changed the carry over to make the sums more
  difficult e.g. 17 x 17(easy) 17x 21(more
  difficult). Having more sums makes it difficult
  on the working memory and uses both the
  Phonological loop central executive.

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Evidence- Phonological loop.

• Baddeley et al (1975)-Word length was
  investigated. Ps were asked to write down 5 words
  in serial order immediately after presentation.
  Simultaneously they were prevented via
  interference from rehearsing the information.
• Articulatory suppression fills the phonological
  loop and removes the advantage of rehearsing. The
  central executive takes over recall as some words
  are recalled!!

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In summary

• Within the WWM certain systems are crystallized
  (i.e. They remain unchanged/ the same) Whilst
  other systems are fluid i.e. They have the
  potential to be more flexible.

Central Executive
crystallized
Visuo-Spatial Scratchpad
Episodic Buffer
Phonological Loop
Visuo-spatial Episodic LTM
Language Semantics.
fluid
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The good, The bad, The ugly!

• The existence of the phonological loop and
  visuo-spatial sketchpad is well documented.
• Practical Implications. (Reading skills)
• WWM influential and still being developed
  expanded.
• Not much is known about the Central executive
  (the most integral store!) no one has been able
  to quantify it scientifically.
• Furthermore what is the role of the central
  executive. Language is vague i.e. We find
  ourselves in a circular argument.
• Contradicting evidence VSSP Phonological loop
  working together causes interference (Conrad
  1964) measuring brain activity should show
  this.it does not.