AO3 quiz - working memory model

E - Patient KF suffered brain damage that left him with normal short term memory for visual information but an impaired ability to recall acoustic information.

SELECT 2 ANSWERS

• Supports the working memory model's explanation of short term memory

• Challenges the working memory model's explanation of short term memory

• Supports the multi-store model's explanation of short term memory

• Challenges the multi-store model's explanation of short term memory

E – Patient KF suffered brain damage that resulted in impaired short-term memory for acoustic information but preserved short-term memory for visual information. 

E – This challenges the ​ (a)   , which assumes STM is a single, unitary store. If this model was correct, damage to STM would affect all types of information equally. In contrast, the ​ (b)   suggests that STM consists of separate components: the ​ (c)   for acoustic information and the ​ (d)   for visual information. Therefore, KF's selective impairment supports the ​ (e)   as by separating visual and acoustic memory, the model allows for the possibility of one slave system being damaged and the other remaining intact. 

• MSM
• WMM
• phonological loop
• visuospatial sketchpad
• long-term memory

P – Case study evidence demonstrates that the Working Memory Model (WMM) is a more accurate explanation of short-term memory (STM) than the multi-store model (MSM). 

E – Patient KF suffered brain damage that resulted in impaired short-term memory for acoustic information but preserved short-term memory for visual information. 

E – This challenges the MSM, which assumes STM is a single, unitary store. If the MSM were correct, damage to STM would affect all types of information equally. In contrast, the WMM suggests that STM consists of separate components: the phonological loop for acoustic information and the visuospatial sketchpad for visual information. Therefore, KF's selective impairment supports the WMM as by separating visual and acoustic memory, the model allows for the possibility of one slave system being damaged and the other remaining intact.  However, a limitation of this evidence is that it comes from a single case study of an individual with a highly unusual form of brain damage. Consequently, patient KF is not ____________ of the typical person, making it difficult to generalize this study’s support for the WMM to the wider population. 

According to the working memory model, which of these tasks should be more difficult?

• Completing two simultaneous visual tasks (tracking a light and describing the letter F)

• Simultaneously completing a visual and verbal task

P – There is supporting research for the working memory model from dual-task research.

E – For example, Baddeley (1975) found that participants had more difficulty doing two visual tasks

simultaneously (tracking a light and describing the letter F) than when doing a visual and verbal task

together.

E – The working memory model can explain this finding as the relative ease of the visual/verbal

condition is explained by neither task overwhelming the limited _________ of the slave-systems

(phonological loop for the verbal task/visuo-spatial for the visual task).

P – There is supporting research for the working memory model from dual-task research.

E – For example, Baddeley (1975) found that participants had more difficulty doing two visual tasks simultaneously (tracking a light and describing the letter F) than when doing a visual and verbal task together.

E – The working memory model can explain this finding as the relative ease of the visual/verbal condition is explained by neither task overwhelming the limited capacity of the slave-systems (phonological loop for the verbal task/visuo-spatial for the visual task). In contrast, the difficulty with the visual/visual condition makes sense given that these tasks would overwhelm the limited capacity of the...[name the relevant component of the working memory model]

-Baddeley (1975) found that participants had more difficulty doing two visual tasks simultaneously (tracking a light and describing the letter F) than when doing a visual and verbal task together....

E - ...

...However, this type of study is highly artificial and therefore lacks __________ validity. It’s arguable that performance on this type of artificial task reveals little about how working memory operates in more naturalistic settings (e.g., trying to learn information presented by a teacher in a lesson). 

P – Case study evidence demonstrates that the Working Memory Model (WMM) is a more accurate explanation of short-term memory (STM) than the multi-store model (MSM). 

E – Patient KF suffered brain damage that resulted in impaired short-term memory for acoustic information but preserved short-term memory for visual information. 

E – This challenges the MSM because...[explain why this evidence challenges the MSM. No need to refer to the WMM - the next question will ask about this]

Answer explanation

This challenges the MSM, which assumes STM is a single, unitary store. If the MSM were correct, damage to STM would affect all types of information equally.

P – Case study evidence demonstrates that the Working Memory Model (WMM) is a more accurate explanation of short-term memory (STM) than the multi-store model (MSM). 

E – Patient KF suffered brain damage that resulted in impaired short-term memory for acoustic information but preserved short-term memory for visual information. 

E – This challenges the MSM, which assumes STM is a single, unitary store. If the MSM were correct, damage to STM would affect all types of information equally. In contrast, the case study of patient K supports the WMM because...[explain what the WMM says about STM that's different to the MSM. Then explain why this helps explain patient KF's memory issues]

Answer explanation

The WMM suggests that STM consists of separate components: the phonological loop for acoustic information and the visuospatial sketchpad for visual information. Therefore, KF's selective impairment supports the WMM as by separating visual and acoustic memory, the model allows for the possibility of one slave system being damaged and the other remaining intact.