Which of the Following Means That Each Memory Location Can Be Accessed Directly?
Working Memory Model
By Dr. Saul McLeod, updated 2012
Take-home Messages
- Working retentiveness is a limited capacity store for retaining information for a cursory period while performing mental operations on that information.
- Working memory is a multi-component organisation which includes the central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, phonological loop, and episodic buffer.
- Working memory is important for reasoning, learning and comprehension.
- Working memory theories assume that complex reasoning and learning tasks require a mental workspace to hold and dispense data.
Atkinson'south and Shiffrin's (1968) multi-shop model was extremely successful in terms of the amount of research it generated. However, as a result of this research, it became credible that there were a number of problems with their ideas apropos the characteristics of short-term retention.
Baddeley and Hitch (1974) debate that the moving-picture show of short-term memory (STM) provided by the Multi-Store Model is far too simple.
According to the Multi-Store Model, STM holds express amounts of information for brusque periods of time with relatively trivial processing. Information technology is a unitary system. This ways it is a unmarried system (or store) without whatever subsystems. Whereas working retentivity is a multi-component organisation (auditory, and visual).
Therefore, whereas short-term memory can only agree data, working retentivity can both retainin and process information.
Fig 1. The Working Memory Model (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974)
Working memory is curt-term memory. Nonetheless, instead of all information going into one single store, there are dissimilar systems for unlike types of information.
Central Executive
Drives the whole organization (e.1000., the dominate of working memory) and allocates information to the subsystems: the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad. It also deals with cognitive tasks such equally mental arithmetic and problem-solving.
Visuospatial Sketchpad (inner eye)
The visuospatial sketchpad is a component of working retentivity model which stores and processes information in a visual or spatial form. The visuospatial sketchpad is used for navigation.
Phonological Loop
The phonological loop is a component of working memory model that deals with spoken and written material. It is subdivided into the phonological shop (which holds information in a spoken language-based form) and the articulatory procedure (which allows united states of america to repeat exact information in a loop).
- Phonological Store (inner ear) processes oral communication perception and stores spoken words nosotros hear for 1-two seconds.
- Articulatory control process (inner phonation) processes speech communication product, and rehearses and stores verbal information from the phonological store.
Fig 2. The Working Memory Model Components (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974)
The labels given to the components (run into fig 2) of the working memory reflect their function and the type of data they process and dispense. The phonological loop is assumed to be responsible for the manipulation of speech based information, whereas the visuospatial sketchpad is causeless to exist responsible for manipulating visual images.
The model proposes that every component of working memory has a limited capacity, and also that the components are relatively independent of each other.
The Fundamental Executive
The key executive is the near important component of the model, although little is known about how information technology functions. It is responsible for monitoring and coordinating the operation of the slave systems (i.east., visuospatial sketchpad and phonological loop) and relates them to long term retentivity (LTM).
The central executive decides which data is attended to and which parts of the working memory to send that information to be dealt with. For example, two activities sometimes come into conflict, such every bit driving a auto and talking. Rather than hitting a cyclist who is wobbling all over the road, it is preferable to stop talking and concentrate on driving. The central executive directs attention and gives priority to particular activities.
The fundamental executive is the near versatile and important component of the working memory system. However, despite its importance in the working-memory model, nosotros know considerably less well-nigh this component than the two subsystems it controls.
Baddeley suggests that the cardinal executive acts more similar a arrangement which controls attentional processes rather than as a memory shop. This is different the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad, which are specialized storage systems. The key executive enables the working memory organisation to selectively attend to some stimuli and ignore others.
Baddeley (1986) uses the metaphor of a company boss to depict the fashion in which the central executive operates. The company boss makes decisions about which bug deserve attention and which should be ignored. They also select strategies for dealing with bug, simply like any person in the company, the boss can only do a limited number of things at the same time. The boss of a company will collect information from a number of different sources.
If we continue applying this metaphor, then we can see the central executive in working memory integrating (i.e., combining) information from two assistants (the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad) and too drawing on information held in a big database (long-term memory).
The Phonological Loop
The phonological loop is the part of working memory that deals with spoken and written cloth. It consists of two parts (see Figure 3).
The phonological store (linked to speech perception) acts every bit an inner ear and holds information in a speech-based form (i.due east., spoken words) for 1-2 seconds. Spoken words enter the store directly. Written words must first be converted into an articulatory (spoken) code before they can enter the phonological store.
Fig three. The phonological loop
The articulatory control process (linked to oral communication production) acts like an inner voice rehearsing information from the phonological store. It circulates information round and round like a tape loop. This is how nosotros retrieve a telephone number nosotros accept merely heard. As long every bit we keep repeating it, we tin retain the information in working memory.
The articulatory command process as well converts written material into an articulatory code and transfers it to the phonological store.
The Visuospatial Sketchpad
the visuospatial sketchpad (inner centre) deals with visual and spatial data. Visual data refers to what things look like. It is likely that the visuospatial sketchpad plays an important role in helping us keep runway of where we are in relation to other objects equally we motility through our surroundings (Baddeley, 1997).
Equally we motility effectually, our position in relation to objects is constantly changing and it is important that we tin update this information. For example, being aware of where nosotros are in relation to desks, chairs and tables when we are walking around a classroom means that nosotros don't crash-land into things too frequently!
The sketchpad also displays and manipulates visual and spatial information held in long-term memory. For example, the spatial layout of your house is held in LTM. Try answering this question: How many windows are there in the front of your house?
You probably find yourself picturing the front of your house and counting the windows. An image has been retrieved from LTM and pictured on the sketchpad.
Evidence suggests that working memory uses ii dissimilar systems for dealing with visual and verbal information. A visual processing task and a verbal processing task tin can be performed at the same time.
It is more difficult to perform two visual tasks at the same time because they interfere with each other and operation is reduced. The same applies to performing 2 exact tasks at the same time. This supports the view that the phonological loop and the sketchpad are dissever systems inside working memory.
Empirical Evidence for Working Memory
What testify is there that working memory exists, that it is made upward of a number of parts, that it performs a number of different tasks?
The working memory model makes the post-obit two predictions:
1. If two tasks brand use of the same component (of working retention), they cannot be performed successfully together.
two. If two tasks make use of different components, it should be possible to perform them besides equally together as separately.
Primal Study: Baddeley and Hitch (1976)
Key Study: Baddeley and Hitch (1976)
Aim: To investigate if participants tin use unlike parts of working retentiveness at the same time.
Method: Conducted an experiment in which participants were asked to perform two tasks at the aforementioned fourth dimension (dual task technique) - a digit span task which required them to echo a listing of numbers, and a verbal reasoning task which required them to answer truthful or false to various questions (e.g., B is followed past A?).
Results: As the number of digits increased in the digit bridge tasks, participants took longer to answer the reasoning questions, but non much longer - but fractions of a second. And, they didn't make any more errors in the verbal reasoning tasks as the number of digits increased.
Conclusion: The verbal reasoning task made use of the primal executive and the digit bridge task fabricated use of the phonological loop.
The Episodic Buffer
The original model was updated by Baddeley (2000) after the model failed to explain the results of diverse experiments. An boosted component was added called the episodic buffer. The episodic buffer acts as a 'backup' store which communicates with both long-term memory and the components of working retentivity.
Fig 3.Updated Model to include the Episodic Buffer
Critical Evaluation
Strengths
Strengths
Researchers today more often than not hold that short-term memory is fabricated up of a number of components or subsystems. The working memory model has replaced the idea of a unitary (one part) STM as suggested by the multistore model.
The working retentiveness model explains a lot more than than the multistore model. It makes sense of a range of tasks - exact reasoning, comprehension, reading, trouble-solving and visual and spatial processing. And the model is supported by considerable experimental bear witness.
The working retentivity applies to real-life tasks:
- reading (phonological loop)
- problem solving (key executive)
- navigation (visual and spatial processing)
The KF Case Report supports the Working Retention Model. KF suffered brain impairment from a motorcycle blow that damaged his brusk-term retentiveness. KF's impairment was mainly for exact data - his retentivity for visual information was largely unaffected. This shows that at that place are separate STM components for visual information (VSS) and exact information (phonological loop).
Working memory is supported past dual-chore studies (Baddeley and Hitch, 1976).
The working retention model does not over emphasize the importance of rehearsal for STM retention, in dissimilarity to the multi-store model.
Weaknesses
Weaknesses
Lieberman (1980) criticizes the working memory model as the visuospatial sketchpad (VSS) implies that all spatial information was beginning visual (they are linked).
However, Lieberman points out that blind people take excellent spatial awareness, although they take never had any visual information. Lieberman argues that the VSS should be separated into 2 different components: one for visual information and 1 for spatial.
In that location is piffling direct evidence for how the fundamental executive works and what it does. The capacity of the central executive has never been measured.
Working memory simply involves STM, and so it is not a comprehensive model of memory (every bit information technology does not include SM or LTM).
The working memory model does not explain changes in processing power that occur equally the effect of exercise or fourth dimension.
How to reference this article:
How to reference this article:
McLeod, Southward. A. (2012). Working memory. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/working%20memory.html
APA Way References
Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. Yard. (1968). Affiliate: Human retentiveness: A proposed organization and its command processes. In Spence, K. W., & Spence, J. T. The psychology of learning and motivation (Volume 2). New York: Academic Press. pp. 89–195.
Baddeley, A. D. (1986). Working memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Baddeley, A. D. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory? Trends in Cerebral Sciences, 4, (11): 417-423.
Baddeley, A. D., & Hitch, G. (1974). Working retention. In G.H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 8, pp. 47–89). New York: Academic Printing.
Baddeley, A. D., & Lieberman, G. (1980). Spatial working memory. ln R. Nickerson. Attending and Performance, 8. Hillsdale, N): Erlbaum.
How to reference this article:
How to reference this commodity:
McLeod, Southward. A. (2012). Working retention. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/working%20memory.html
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