The working memory model – Baddeley and Hitch
- Explanation of how the short-term memory is organised and how it functions.
- The STM is a multi-component system.
Central executive
- Monitors incoming data, focuses, and divides our limited attention and allocates tasks to
‘slave systems’.
- does not store information.
Coding – flexible
Capacity – limited
Phonological loop – 1st slave system (inner ear)
- auditory information and preserves order in which the information arrives.
Dived into:
Phonological store – stores the words you hear. (Holds info)
Articulatory process – allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating words or sounds in a
loop to keep them in the working memory whilst needed)
Coding – acoustic
Capacity – about 2 seconds
Visuo – spatial sketchpad – 2nd slave system (inner eye)
- Stores visual/spatial information when required.
Robert Logie subdivided the VSS into:
Visual cache – stores visual data.
Inner scribe – stores the arrangement of objects in the visual field.
Coding – visual and spatial
Capacity – 4 – 5 chunks (Baddeley)
Episodic buffer – 3rd slave system added to model by Baddeley.
- Temporary store for information, integrating the visual, spatial, and verbal information
processed to other stores.
- Records events that are happening.
- Seen as a storage component.
- Links working STM to LTM.
Coding – flexible
Capacity – about 4 chunks
Evaluation
Baddeley et al supporting evidence (dual task effect)
- Study's support separate existence of the visuo spatial sketchpad.
- Asked ppts to carry out visual and verbal task at the same time (dual task) their
performance on each was similar when carrying out individual tasks
- Explanation of how the short-term memory is organised and how it functions.
- The STM is a multi-component system.
Central executive
- Monitors incoming data, focuses, and divides our limited attention and allocates tasks to
‘slave systems’.
- does not store information.
Coding – flexible
Capacity – limited
Phonological loop – 1st slave system (inner ear)
- auditory information and preserves order in which the information arrives.
Dived into:
Phonological store – stores the words you hear. (Holds info)
Articulatory process – allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating words or sounds in a
loop to keep them in the working memory whilst needed)
Coding – acoustic
Capacity – about 2 seconds
Visuo – spatial sketchpad – 2nd slave system (inner eye)
- Stores visual/spatial information when required.
Robert Logie subdivided the VSS into:
Visual cache – stores visual data.
Inner scribe – stores the arrangement of objects in the visual field.
Coding – visual and spatial
Capacity – 4 – 5 chunks (Baddeley)
Episodic buffer – 3rd slave system added to model by Baddeley.
- Temporary store for information, integrating the visual, spatial, and verbal information
processed to other stores.
- Records events that are happening.
- Seen as a storage component.
- Links working STM to LTM.
Coding – flexible
Capacity – about 4 chunks
Evaluation
Baddeley et al supporting evidence (dual task effect)
- Study's support separate existence of the visuo spatial sketchpad.
- Asked ppts to carry out visual and verbal task at the same time (dual task) their
performance on each was similar when carrying out individual tasks
