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The Working Memory Model (WMM)

The Dynamic Workspace

WMM: An Overview

The Working Memory Model (WMM) was developed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974) as an alternative to the Multi-Store Model’s concept of a single, undifferentiated short-term memory. Instead, WMM proposes that short-term memory is a dynamic workspace comprising several components that interact to process and store information temporarily.

Key Components of WMM

The WMM is composed of four interacting components that handle different modalities of information.

1

Central Executive (CE)

The supervisory system that controls and coordinates subsystems.
2

Phonological Loop (PL)

Holds and processes verbal and auditory information.
3

Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS)

The “inner eye” for visual images and spatial layouts.
4

Episodic Buffer (EB)

Integrates data from all components and Long-Term Memory (LTM).

Central Executive (CE) Functions

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The Resource Manager: The CE manages and allocates processing resources, switching attention between tasks, inhibiting irrelevant information, and integrating information from slave systems and long-term memory.

*Note: The CE is modality-free. Despite being central, it is the least understood component and difficult to measure directly.

Phonological Loop and VSS Breakdown

These systems specialize in sensory input processing before information is integrated.

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Phonological Loop (PL)

Acoustically coded. Contains the phonological store (holds auditory info) and the articulatory rehearsal process (maintenance rehearsal by subvocal repetition).
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Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS)

Visually and spatially coded. Divided into the visual cache (color/shape data) and the inner scribe (spatial and movement information).

The Role of the Episodic Buffer (EB)

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How does WMM explain holding complex data like stories or scenes?
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That's the job of the EB! It integrates information from the PL, VSS, and LTM into a single, coherent episodic representation.
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It codes multimodally (visual, spatial, auditory) and has a limited capacity of about 4 chunks.

Coding Distinctions

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Specialized CodingPL codes acoustically (easily confused by similar-sounding words). VSS codes visually and spatially.
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General/Integrated CodingCentral executive is modality-general (free). Episodic buffer codes multimodally (visual, spatial, auditory binding).

Component Capacity Limits

Each WMM component has a distinct, limited capacity constraint.

Component Capacity Constraint
Phonological Loop ~2 seconds of spoken information
Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad 3-4 objects
Episodic Buffer approx. 4 chunks
Central Executive Limited cognitive resources

Empirical Support for WMM

The WMM is supported by laboratory findings and clinical studies.

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Dual-Task Studies

People perform a verbal and a visual task simultaneously better than two verbal tasks at once, confirming separate subsystems (Baddeley et al., 1975).
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Neuropsychological Evidence

Patients with brain damage (e.g., KF) may have impaired verbal STM but intact visual STM, indicating separate systems exist.
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Working Memory Model (WMM) Deck
Term
Working Memory Model (WMM)

What is the Working Memory Model (WMM)?

Answer
Definition

A model of short-term memory with multiple components for processing different types of information simultaneously.

Term
Developers and Date

Who developed the Working Memory Model and when?

Answer
Authors & Date

Baddeley and Hitch, 1974.

Term
Central Executive

What is the role of the Central Executive in the WMM?

Answer
Function

Supervises and coordinates other subsystems, manages attention and integrates information.

Term
Phonological Loop

How does the Phonological Loop process information?

Answer
Processing

It processes and stores verbal and auditory information acoustically.

Term
Phonological Loop Parts

What are the two parts of the Phonological Loop?

Answer
Components

Phonological store (holds sounds) and articulatory rehearsal process (repeats sounds subvocally).

Term
Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

What type of information does the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad handle?

Answer
Function

Visual and spatial information like images and layouts.

Term
Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad Capacity

What is the capacity limit of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad?

Answer
Capacity

About 3-4 objects.

Term
Episodic Buffer

What additional component did Baddeley add in 2000?

Answer
Addition

The Episodic Buffer.

Term
Episodic Buffer Role

What does the Episodic Buffer do?

Answer
Function

Integrates information from other subsystems and long-term memory into a coherent episode.

Term
Coding in WMM

How is coding differentiated in the WMM?

Answer
Coding Types

Phonological Loop codes acoustically; Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad codes visually and spatially; Central Executive coding is modality-general; Episodic Buffer codes multimodally.

Term
Supporting Evidence

What evidence supports the WMM?

Answer
Evidence

Dual-task studies and neuropsychological cases showing separate verbal and visual memory can be impaired independently.

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🧠 Working Memory Model Quiz

1. Which component of the Working Memory Model is responsible for supervising and allocating attention?

The Central Executive directs attention and coordinates other subsystems.

2. The Phonological Loop is primarily responsible for processing:

It processes sounds and verbal material acoustically.

3. The Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad is divided into which two subcomponents?

Visual cache stores color and shape; inner scribe stores spatial and movement info.

4. True or False: The Episodic Buffer is responsible for integrating information from different subsystems and long-term memory.

This buffer combines info into a coherent episodic representation.

5. What study type supports the existence of separate verbal and visual components in the WMM?

These studies show better performance on simultaneous verbal and visual tasks vs. two verbal tasks, suggesting separate stores.

📊 Results

  • Notes and Quiz
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