The Working Memory Model: Components, Research and the Episodic Buffer

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the working memory model, initially developed by Alan Baddeley. It details the model's components, including the phonological loop, responsible for processing sound-based information; the visuo-spatial sketchpad, which handles spatial and visual information; and the central executive, which integrates information from other components and long-term memory, and the episodic buffer, added later to connect working memory with long-term memory. The essay explores research related to each component, such as the phonological similarity effect, word length effect, and the role of the central executive in attention and memory retrieval. It also discusses the contributions of Baddeley and others to memory research, highlighting the importance of rehearsal, the serial order of items, and the interaction between short-term and long-term memory. The essay emphasizes the significance of the working memory model in understanding how humans process and retain information, and how it has evolved over time.

Running head: WORKING MEMORY MODEL
WORKING MEMORY MODEL
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Working memory was previously called the short-term memory. It mainly explains
about the memory, which an individual is processing currently. Such form of memory is seen
to last lesser than even a minute and is found to have limitations in its capacity. To help in
proper understanding of the concept of working memory, researchers named as Alan
Baddeley had successfully put forward the working memory approach. This approach
considers working memory as the system that is composed of several carious forms of parts
controlling the information being processed (Baddeley, 2017). Such model is based on the
assumption that each of this components has their own limited capacity and that each of them
is relatively but not entirely independent towards the other components. His main model
comprised of three important components that are considered to be the phonological loop,
visuo-spatial loop as well as the central executive. Later, the current model that was
introduced also contained another important component called the episodic buffer. This
assignment would mainly be describing this component and will relate the contribution of
this model to memory researches.
The first component is the phonological loop helps in processing sounds and is
responsible for various types of the speech-based information. This mainly discusses about
the sounds that are processed in the mind of an individual. Studies have found that this
component, which had been developed by Alan, help in learning new vocabulary, problem
solving, remembering instructions and even solving maths problems. This component again
comprises of two sub-components that are called the phonological store and the articulatory
process (Berry et al., 2018). The first component helps by holding the information for 1.5 to 2
seconds. The articulatory control process helps by refreshing the information in the
phonological store. This component also helps in converting the written material into the
phonological code helping it to be registered by the phonological code.

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When further researches are done on this concept, it is found that phonological store
helps by preserving the presence of the phonological similarity effect. Again, human beings
are found to be less accurate during repetition of the sequence of words that sounds similar
like “MAN CAP CAT MAT CAN” in comparison to dissimilar words like that “PIT DAY
COW PEN TOP”. In this instance, research has found that similarity in meaning like that
(HUGE LARGE BIG WIDE TALL) had lesser effects on immediate recalling procedures
(Allen et al., 2018). Again, it had been also found that when several trials are made for
learning longer list of words like around 10 words, meanings are given more importance by
humans and in this case, sound is seen to lose its power and this is found to be in consistent
with the various systems of short term as well as long-term storage. Interesting evidence
suggest that the significance of rehearsal might arrive from the word length effect. Here,
researchers have found that immediate recalling of words like “(e.g. REFRIGERATOR
UNIVERSITY TUBERCULOSIS OPPORTUNITY HIPPOPOTAMUS)” are found to be
more error prone than for the shorter words.
Baddeley and Hitch had also contributed to memory researches by discovering a
number of important factors. They were of the opinion that that the memory traces of
different items in the short term store would rapidly fade but they could be successfully
maintained by saying them constantly to oneself. Longer words take more time say and
hence they are more prone to the fading process and hence in such instances more forgetting
occur. From this interpretation, modern researchers had found that preventing individuals
from uttering various words towards themselves by needing the continuous saying of a
particular item like that of the word “the”, can help in removing the word length effect. From
the initial demonstrations and discussion of the word-length effects, several other researchers
have proposed more interpretations (Hitch et al., 2018). However, they differ in implications
regarding the effects considering whether various types of items in the short-term store are

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not remembered by people because of the spontaneous decaying of the memory trace or that
by the outcome of disrupting from the later material.
In the further memory researches, the concept of phonological loop put forward by
Baddeley had put forward different attempts in stimulating performance of humans in the
verbal STM tasks and thereby had used more-detailed computational models. Studies have
stated that the first tranche of these models had focused on specifications of mechanisms to
handle information about the serial order of the items (Hu et al., 2016). This aspect was left
unspecified in the original account of the loop. Such kinds of models are seen to be agreeing
with the fact that the serial ordering indeed includes “competitive sequencing”. This is mainly
a procedure where items remain simultaneously active and they are seen to be competing for
serial selection. These models in the later researches were seen to vary mainly with respect to
nature of that like of the ordering cues that help in determining these activation levels. Recent
attempts at these computational modelling have been seen to go further by effective
specification of the ways by swhich the short-term phonological storage system can interact
with long term memory (Caeyenberghs et al., 2016). This is indeed an important step in
understanding the function of that of the loop in long-term learning.
Another important component is the visuo-spatial sketchpad. This component is
responsible for processing spatial and visual information. It could be fed directly through
perception as well as indirectly through a visual image. These components has been fund to
help individuals in storing images of objects as well as their locations. This component is also
used for navigation. When an individual goes from one pace to that of another, this
component is stimulated. It is also activated while an individual engages in different types of
activities like that of the various activities as such as puzzles, mazes as well as games. Two
important components of the sketchpad are also found (Atkinson et al., 2017). One of them is
the visual caches that stores information pertaining to colour as well as visual form. Another

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component is the inner scribe that helps in rehearsing information from the visual caches and
transferring information from the visual cache to that of the central executive. The latter
component is also seen to deal with spatial and movement information. They are also
involved in the planning as well as execution of the different body movements. Further
researches on the component had been done that talks about the creation and maintenance of
the visual images along with occurrences of individuals whose brains are damaged and who
show one deficit but might not contain the other (Despocito & Postle, 2015). This article
discusses that information about space as well as about the objects and their visual
characteristics might have the requirement to be stored separately. Further researches had
been done on memory based on original model of Baddeley. Many believe that the sketchpad
might also be involved in storing of movement sequences and this suggests that there remains
a capacity for storing kinaesthetic information as well as visuo-spatial information (Paulesu et
al., 2017). The presence of similarities between the storage or serial order in the visual as
well as verbal memory is suggestive of the fact that an analogous process though it is not
necessary to be present within the single system.
The third important component is called the central executive. This component is
mainly seen to incorporate information from the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial
sketchpad, the episodic buffer as well as from long-term memory. However, the present day
researchers are still not aware fully about the complexity of this component. However, some
of the most important functions that had been proposed by modern day researches to be
taking place in the central executive are switching of different types of retrieval plans,
elective attention, time-sharing criterion during multi-tasking (Del Angel et al., 2015). Others
are the effective suppression of the irrelevant information as well as daydreaming and even
temporary activation of long-term memory. However, the modern scientists are of the opinion
that not all the functions of this component are fully understood. They are of the opinion that

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more researches need to be conducted to sufficiently understand what the central executives
are capable of.
In the field of memory research, the information that had been yielded by Baddeley
had been successfully utilised to further venture and explore the working of this components.
One of the studies had stated that although the term “central executive” suggest a single
monolithic controller, the researchers feel more likely that this component comprises of an
integrated alliance if executive control procedures (Paulesu et al., 2017). They are of the idea
that it probably has the capability of focussing attention, dividing attention between two or
more tasks and controlling access to long term memory and this remains possible based on
one or more types of inhibition. Other scientists had investigated executive functioning
further where they have worked in connection with the disruption of following damage to the
frontal lobes of the brain. This deficit is called the dysexecutive syndrome. The studies have
found that there arise major problems in attention controlling and sometimes-repeated
preservation of single action is also noticed (Despocito & Postle, 2015). Other participants
had shown to fail in maintaining a goal against distraction. It has been also found that in case
of memory, this might result in confabulation especially where an attempt to retrieve the
memory included capturing if recall by appropriate associations. This sometimes results in
developing false memories.
Another important component is the episodic buffer. It was added to the model that
was proposed by Baddeley after about 25 years. It has been found by the modern period
researchers where information gathered from phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, and
long-term memory are integrated temporarily (Del Angel et al., 2015). This component is
seen to be mainly controlled by the central executive but still it can help in transferring
information into as well as out of the long-term store. Present day studies are of the opinion

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that addition of this component to the model had helped in creating a clearer connection
between the working memory as well as the long-term memory (Berry et al., 2018).
From the above discussion, it can be seen that the initial researches that had been done
by Baddeley had helped in understanding the important components that make up the
working memory system. The three components called the the phonological loop, visuo-
spatial loop and the central executive. This had based the foundation of the memory research
to the latter researchers who had put forward many new insights into the working memory
process. Hence, the present day concept on the topic of working memory can be owed to
Baddeley.

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References:
Allen, R. J., Hitch, G. J., & Baddeley, A. D. (2018). Exploring the sentence advantage in
working memory: Insights from serial recall and recognition. Quarterly Journal of
Experimental Psychology, 1747021817746929.
Atkinson, A. L., Baddeley, A. D., & Allen, R. J. (2017). Remember some or remember all?
Ageing and strategy effects in visual working memory. The Quarterly Journal of
Experimental Psychology, (just-accepted), 1-41.
Atkinson, A. L., Berry, E. D., Waterman, A. H., Baddeley, A. D., Hitch, G. J., & Allen, R. J.
(2018). Are there multiple ways to direct attention in working memory?. Annals of the
New York Academy of Sciences.
Baddeley, A. D. (2017). The concept of working memory: A view of its current state and
probable future development. In Exploring Working Memory (pp. 99-106). Routledge.
Berry, E. D., Waterman, A. H., Baddeley, A. D., Hitch, G. J., & Allen, R. J. (2018). The
limits of visual working memory in children: Exploring prioritization and recency
effects with sequential presentation. Developmental psychology, 54(2), 240.
Caeyenberghs, K., Metzler-Baddeley, C., Foley, S., & Jones, D. K. (2016). Dynamics of the
human structural connectome underlying working memory training. Journal of
Neuroscience, 36(14), 4056-4066.
Covre, P., Baddeley, A. D., Hitch, G. J., & Bueno, O. F. A. (2018). Maintaining task set
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del Angel, J., Cortez, J., Juarez, D., Guerrero, M., García, A., Ramírez, C., & Valdez, P.
(2015). Effects of sleep reduction on the phonological and visuospatial components of
working memory. Sleep Science, 8(2), 68-74.
D'esposito, M., & Postle, B. R. (2015). The cognitive neuroscience of working
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Hitch, G. J., Hu, Y., Allen, R. J., & Baddeley, A. D. (2018). Competition for the focus of
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Hu, Y., Allen, R. J., Baddeley, A. D., & Hitch, G. J. (2016). Executive control of stimulus-
driven and goal-directed attention in visual working memory. Attention. Perception,
& Psychophysics. doi, 10.
Paulesu, E., Shallice, T., Danelli, L., Sberna, M., Frackowiak, R. S., & Frith, C. D. (2017).
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