Draw the WMM. Include as much detail as you can.

Working Memory Model AO3 Aim: To outline and evaluate the working memory model

“Outline the working memory model” (6 marks)

Alicia is trying to remember the home addresses of her new friends. At the same time she tries to remember how to get to their house from her own house. She is surprised that she can do both at the same time. How can we use the working memory model to explain Alicia’s memory? (4 marks)

“The working memory has practical applications” Is this true or false? Elaborate and give examples for your opinion. Think about Clive Wearing… “The working memory has practical applications” Is this true or false? Elaborate and give examples for your opinion. Think about Clive Wearing…

“The working memory model is a better memory model than MSM” Is this true or false? Elaborate and give examples for your opinion. “The working memory model is a better memory model than MSM” Is this true or false? Elaborate and give examples for your opinion.

“There is good research evidence to support the WMM, and it is strong research” Is this true or false? Elaborate and give examples for your opinion. “There is good research evidence to support the WMM, and it is strong research” Is this true or false? Elaborate and give examples for your opinion.

“There are some cases of people who have brain damage and can process visual but not auditory information” Does this support the WMM? Why? “There are some cases of people who have brain damage and can process visual but not auditory information” Does this support the WMM? Why?

Evaluation Clinical evidence… What evidence is there that working memory exists, that it is made up of a number of parts, that it performs a number of different tasks? The working memory model makes the following two predictions: 1. If two tasks make use of the same component (of working memory), they cannot be performed successfully together. 2. If two tasks make use of different components, it should be possible to perform them as well as together as separately.

Key Study: Baddeley & Hitch (1976) AO3 Dual Task Performance Aim: To investigate if participants can use different parts of working memory at the same time. Method: Conducted an experiment in which participants were asked to perform two tasks at the same time (dual task technique) - a digit span task which required them to repeat a list of numbers, and a verbal reasoning task which required them to answer true or false to various questions (e.g. B is followed by A?). Results: As the number of digits increased in the digit span tasks, participants took longer to answer the reasoning questions, but not much longer - only 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 central executive and the digit span task made use of the phonological loop. Therefore supporting the WMM, as different types of STM are stored in different parts of the model. Aim: To investigate if participants can use different parts of working memory at the same time. Method: Conducted an experiment in which participants were asked to perform two tasks at the same time (dual task technique) - a digit span task which required them to repeat a list of numbers, and a verbal reasoning task which required them to answer true or false to various questions (e.g. B is followed by A?). Results: As the number of digits increased in the digit span tasks, participants took longer to answer the reasoning questions, but not much longer - only 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 central executive and the digit span task made use of the phonological loop. Therefore supporting the WMM, as different types of STM are stored in different parts of the model.

Clinical Evidence to support WMM P : The KF Case Study supports the Working Memory Model. E : KF suffered brain damage from a motorcycle accident that damaged his short-term memory. E : KF's impairment was mainly for verbal information - his memory for visual information was largely unaffected. L : This shows that there are separate STM components for visual information (VSS) and verbal information (phonological loop), supporting the model that. However…

Lack of Clarity over the central executive P: Cognitive psychologists criticise the central executive, suggesting it doesn’t really explain anything. E : Baddeley said himself ‘the central executive is the most important but least understood component of working memory’ E : the central executive needs to be clearly specified, some psychologists claim that it may consist of separate components. L :This means the WMM hasn’t been fully explained.

A better insight into Memory than the MSM P: The working memory model has many strengths over the multi-store model. E: It describes short term memory as a collection of active processing mechanisms that work in two modalities (verbal and visual) rather than a single store that simply rehearses verbal information. E: This allows it to explain memory function in patients with impairments to one component of working memory but with normal function in the other components, such as KF. L: therefore increasing our understanding of memory as an active process rather than a passive process as the MSM suggests.

“Outline and evaluate the working memory model” (12 marks) Make a mind map planning out the essay… How do you mind map? Discuss with your partner, have you ever used a mind map? Do they work? Make a mind map planning out the essay… How do you mind map? Discuss with your partner, have you ever used a mind map? Do they work?

Equipment… A3 paper Coloured pens/pencils Notes Now… create a mind map answering the 12 mark question “outline and evaluate the WMM” (12)

Review Can you do the following? Name each part of the WMM? Name research to support? Weaknesses of WMM? If you can’t… go over your notes before next lesson Can you do the following? Name each part of the WMM? Name research to support? Weaknesses of WMM? If you can’t… go over your notes before next lesson

Plenary On your post-it write a question… Stick it on the board Take someone else’s question and answer it.