The working memory model | AQA A-Level Psychology Revision

For 7182 specification, first teach in September 2025

AQA A-Level Psychology | Free Revision Notes

Estimated study time: 40 minutes

jump to exam questions by topic 👇

These Working memory model A-Level Psychology revision notes explain how information is actively processed during short-term mental tasks. Instead of treating short-term memory as one single store, the model divides working memory into the central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer. Each component performs a different function and has a limited capacity. This lesson develops the account of short-term storage introduced in the three-store model of memory and prepares you to evaluate both models.

Learning Objectives 🎯

By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:

• Describe the role of the central executive.

• Explain the functions of the phonological loop.

• Explain the functions of the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

• Explain the role of the episodic buffer.

• Describe the coding and capacity of the model’s components.

• Apply the working memory model to unfamiliar examples of mental processing.

Revision Notes 📚

What is the working memory model?

The working memory model, or WMM, explains how information is actively processed during short-term mental activities.

The model challenges the idea that short-term memory is one single, passive store. Instead, working memory contains several components that process different types of information.

The four main components are:

1. The central executive

2. The phonological loop

3. The visuo-spatial sketchpad

4. The episodic buffer

The model can be represented as:

Central executive → phonological loopCentral executive → visuo-spatial sketchpadCentral executive → episodic bufferEpisodic buffer ↔ long-term memory

The central executive controls attention and coordinates the other components.

Working memory as active processing

The term working memory reflects the idea that short-term memory does more than temporarily store information.

It allows people to:

• Hold information in mind.

• Direct attention.

• Process verbal material.

• Visualise objects and locations.

• Combine information from different sources.

• Use knowledge retrieved from long-term memory.

• Perform more than one task at once.

For example, when following spoken directions while looking at a map, a person must process both verbal and visual information. The working memory model proposes that different components can deal with these demands.

This provides a more detailed account than the single short-term store described in coding, capacity and duration across memory stores.

The central executive

The central executive is the attentional control system of working memory.

Its main functions are to:

• Direct attention towards relevant information.

• Switch attention between tasks.

• Decide which information requires processing.

• Allocate processing resources to the other components.

• Coordinate the phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer.

• Monitor performance while tasks are being completed.

The central executive is sometimes compared with a manager because it organises the work of the other components.

However, it does not simply store all the information used in a task. Its main role is attentional control and coordination.

Limited capacity of the central executive

The central executive has a limited capacity.

This means it can manage only a restricted amount of attentional demand at one time.

When tasks are simple or familiar, the central executive may be able to divide attention between them.

When both tasks require substantial conscious attention, performance is likely to become worse.

For example, an experienced driver may be able to drive and hold a simple conversation because driving has become relatively automatic. A learner driver may struggle because controlling the vehicle requires most of their attentional capacity.

The central executive and automatic tasks

An automatic task requires relatively little conscious attention because it has been practised extensively.

An experienced typist may be able to type while listening to someone speak. The physical act of typing requires fewer central executive resources than it would for a beginner.

By contrast, a new typist may need to focus closely on finding each key. This leaves fewer resources available for listening.

The central executive therefore helps explain why experience can affect a person’s ability to perform two tasks together.

Applying the central executive

Aaliyah is learning to drive. She finds it difficult to listen to the instructor while approaching a busy junction.

The working memory model would explain that:

• Approaching the junction requires considerable attention.

• Listening to and interpreting the instructor also requires attention.

• Both tasks place demands on the central executive.

• Its capacity is limited.

• Aaliyah may struggle to divide her resources effectively.

A strong application answer refers to both the limited capacity and the competing attentional demands.

The phonological loop

The phonological loop processes and temporarily stores verbal and auditory information.

It is used when a person:

• Listens to spoken language.

• Silently repeats a telephone number.

• Reads words internally.

• Learns vocabulary.

• Holds the beginning of a sentence in mind.

• Rehearses information through an inner voice.

The phonological loop has a limited capacity and mainly uses acoustic coding, meaning that information is represented according to its sound.

It contains two parts:

1. The phonological store

2. The articulatory control process

The phonological store

The phonological store temporarily holds speech-based information.

It is sometimes described as an inner ear because it receives and retains the sounds of words.

Spoken information can enter the phonological store directly.

For example, when a teacher reads out a short list of terms, the sounds of those words are temporarily retained in the phonological store.

Because its capacity is limited, information will quickly disappear unless it is rehearsed.

The articulatory control process

The articulatory control process rehearses verbal information.

It is sometimes described as an inner voice because it allows a person to repeat information silently.

Its functions include:

• Keeping verbal information active.

• Rehearsing words or numbers.

• Converting visually presented words into a sound-based code.

• Returning rehearsed information to the phonological store.

For example, when someone reads a temporary password and silently repeats it, the articulatory control process converts and rehearses the information acoustically.

How the two parts work together

The phonological store and articulatory control process operate as a loop:

1. Verbal information enters the phonological store.

2. The information begins to fade.

3. The articulatory control process rehearses it.

4. The rehearsed information returns to the phonological store.

5. The cycle continues while the information is needed.

This is why the component is called a loop.

Spoken and written information

Spoken words can enter the phonological store directly because they are already sound-based.

Written words must first be converted into an acoustic code by the articulatory control process.

For example:

• Hearing “seven, four, nine” allows the sounds to enter the phonological store.

• Reading “749” involves silently converting the digits into spoken sounds.

This helps explain why similar-sounding letters or words may become confused during short-term verbal tasks.

Capacity of the phonological loop

The phonological loop has a limited capacity.

Its capacity is related to how much verbal material a person can rehearse before the earlier information fades.

Shorter words can generally be rehearsed more quickly than longer words. This means that more short words may be retained within the same period.

The important principle is:

The phonological loop can hold only a limited amount of verbal information, and rehearsal helps keep that information active.

Applying the phonological loop

Maya is told the access code 492781. She silently repeats the numbers until she enters them.

The working memory model would explain that:

• The spoken numbers enter the phonological store.

• The articulatory control process repeatedly rehearses them.

• Rehearsal prevents the code from immediately fading.

• The code remains temporarily available while Maya uses it.

If someone interrupts Maya and requires her to repeat a different set of words, the competing verbal material may disrupt the phonological loop.

The visuo-spatial sketchpad

The visuo-spatial sketchpad, or VSSP, temporarily processes visual and spatial information.

It is used when a person:

• Imagines an object.

• Remembers where something is located.

• Mentally rotates a shape.

• Plans a route.

• Follows a map.

• Judges distance or movement.

• Visualises the layout of a room.

The visuo-spatial sketchpad has a limited capacity and mainly processes information according to its visual appearance and spatial arrangement.

Visual and spatial information

Visual information concerns what something looks like.

This may include:

• Colour

• Shape

• Pattern

• Size

• Appearance

Spatial information concerns where something is and how objects relate to one another.

This may include:

• Position

• Direction

• Movement

• Distance

• Location

For example, remembering the colour of a car is mainly visual. Remembering where it is parked is mainly spatial.

Parts of the visuo-spatial sketchpad

The visuo-spatial sketchpad can be divided into:

• The visual cache

• The inner scribe

The visual cache temporarily stores information about visual form and colour.

The inner scribe processes spatial relationships and movement. It may also rehearse spatial information.

For example, when mentally planning a route:

• The visual cache may retain the appearance of landmarks.

• The inner scribe may process their positions and the direction of travel.

Capacity of the visuo-spatial sketchpad

The visuo-spatial sketchpad has a limited capacity.

A simple visual task may be completed while the phonological loop processes verbal information.

However, two demanding visual or spatial tasks may compete for the same limited resources and reduce performance.

For example, a person may struggle to:

• Imagine the layout of a new room.

• While simultaneously following a complex moving diagram.

Both activities place demands on the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

Applying the visuo-spatial sketchpad

Owen looks at a map and imagines turning left at a library before crossing a bridge.

The working memory model would explain that:

• The appearance of the map is processed visually.

• The positions of the library, road and bridge are processed spatially.

• The visuo-spatial sketchpad allows Owen to hold and manipulate this information.

• The component’s limited capacity restricts how much detail he can process at once.

Performing two tasks at once

The working memory model predicts that two tasks can sometimes be performed together successfully when they use different components.

For example:

• Listening to a spoken list mainly uses the phonological loop.

• Copying a simple visual pattern mainly uses the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

Because the tasks use different components, there may be less competition for the same specialised resources.

However, the central executive must still coordinate both activities.

Tasks using the same component

Two tasks that use the same component are more likely to interfere with one another.

Task combination	Main components used	Likely outcome
Repeating words while remembering spoken instructions	Phonological loop for both	Greater interference
Mentally rotating one shape while tracking another moving shape	Visuo-spatial sketchpad for both	Greater interference
Listening to a word while viewing a simple pattern	Different specialised components	Less interference
Completing two unfamiliar tasks requiring close attention	Central executive heavily involved	Performance may decline

This is known as a dual-task prediction.

Applying dual-task performance

Sam can listen to a podcast while organising books by colour, but struggles to listen to the podcast while reading a written article.

The model could explain that:

• Listening to speech and reading verbal material both place demands on the phonological loop.

• These tasks compete for similar resources.

• Organising books by colour relies more heavily on visual processing.

• The podcast and colour task therefore place demands on different specialised components.

The exact demands of a task matter. Reading may also involve visual processing, but understanding the words places an important demand on verbal working memory.

The episodic buffer

The episodic buffer is a temporary store that combines information from different sources into a single, integrated representation.

Its functions include:

• Combining verbal and visual information.

• Integrating information from the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad.

• Linking working memory with long-term memory.

• Organising information into meaningful sequences or episodes.

• Providing temporary storage when information must be brought together.

The episodic buffer is controlled by the central executive and has a limited capacity.

Why the episodic buffer was needed

The phonological loop deals mainly with verbal information.

The visuo-spatial sketchpad deals mainly with visual and spatial information.

However, many everyday tasks require information from several sources to be combined.

For example, understanding a story may involve:

• Remembering spoken words.

• Visualising the setting.

• Tracking the order of events.

• Using knowledge from long-term memory.

• Connecting all this information into one meaningful episode.

The episodic buffer explains how these different forms of information can be temporarily integrated.

The episodic buffer and long-term memory

The episodic buffer acts as an interface between working memory and long-term memory.

It allows information retrieved from long-term memory to be combined with information currently being processed.

For example, when reading a passage about a familiar place, a person may combine:

• The words currently being read.

• A mental image of the location.

• Previous knowledge stored in long-term memory.

The episodic buffer binds these elements into a coherent understanding.

Episodic buffer and episodes

The word episodic refers to the component’s ability to combine information into integrated events or sequences.

For example, remembering a short scene may involve:

• Who was present.

• What was said.

• Where each person stood.

• The order in which events occurred.

The episodic buffer combines these details into one temporary representation.

It should not be confused with episodic long-term memory, which concerns personal events stored over time.

Applying the episodic buffer

Nia listens to a description of a route while viewing a diagram and comparing it with a journey she has made before.

The working memory model would explain that:

• The spoken description is processed by the phonological loop.

• The diagram is processed by the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

• Relevant knowledge is retrieved from long-term memory.

• The episodic buffer combines these sources into one coherent representation.

• The central executive coordinates the overall task.

Comparing the four components

Component	Main function	Main type of information	Capacity
Central executive	Directs attention and coordinates other components	Modality-free attentional control	Limited
Phonological loop	Stores and rehearses verbal material	Mainly acoustic and verbal	Limited
Visuo-spatial sketchpad	Stores and manipulates visual and spatial material	Visual appearance, location and movement	Limited
Episodic buffer	Integrates information and links working memory with LTM	Combined information from several sources	Limited

Coding in the working memory model

The components use different forms of coding.

Component	Coding
Central executive	Modality-free attentional processing
Phonological loop	Mainly acoustic
Visuo-spatial sketchpad	Visual and spatial
Episodic buffer	Multimodal or integrated

Modality-free means that the central executive is not restricted to one sensory form. It manages attention across different types of information.

Multimodal means that the episodic buffer can combine information in more than one form.

Capacity in the working memory model

Each component has a limited capacity.

This explains why performance can decline when:

• Too much information is processed at once.

• Two tasks compete for the same component.

• Several unfamiliar tasks require central executive attention.

• Rehearsal is interrupted.

• Visual or spatial demands become too complex.

The model does not describe working memory as an unlimited mental workspace.

Applying the complete model

Consider the following scenario:

Leo is following spoken cooking instructions while looking at a diagram showing how to fold pastry. He remembers making a similar dish before and combines this knowledge with the new instructions.

The model would explain Leo’s performance as follows:

• The phonological loop processes the spoken instructions.

• The visuo-spatial sketchpad processes the diagram and movements.

• Long-term memory supplies knowledge from his previous cooking experience.

• The episodic buffer combines the current instructions, visual information and previous knowledge.

• The central executive directs attention and coordinates the components.

A developed application answer should assign each part of the scenario to the correct component.

Applying the model to reading

When reading a novel:

• The phonological loop may process the words and sentences.

• The visuo-spatial sketchpad may create images of characters and locations.

• Long-term memory supplies knowledge about vocabulary and the world.

• The episodic buffer combines the information into a coherent sequence of events.

• The central executive directs attention and shifts focus between relevant details.

The model therefore explains how several types of processing contribute to one apparently simple task.

Applying the model to mental arithmetic

When solving a calculation mentally:

• The phonological loop may retain the numbers or verbal steps.

• The visuo-spatial sketchpad may support a visual image of the calculation.

• Long-term memory provides knowledge of mathematical rules.

• The episodic buffer may combine the current figures with retrieved knowledge.

• The central executive selects a strategy and monitors progress.

Different people may rely on the components to different degrees.

Applying the model to navigation

When planning a route:

• The visuo-spatial sketchpad processes locations and directions.

• The phonological loop may retain spoken instructions or road names.

• Long-term memory provides knowledge of familiar landmarks.

• The episodic buffer combines these elements into an organised route.

• The central executive directs attention and chooses between possible paths.

This shows why navigation can become difficult when a person is simultaneously completing another demanding visual-spatial task.

Evidence supporting separate components

Dual-task research provides support for separate working memory components.

People may perform two tasks relatively successfully when the tasks use different components. Performance is more likely to decline when both tasks rely on the same component.

This supports the idea that working memory is not one undivided store.

For example:

• A verbal task may disrupt another verbal task.

• A visual-spatial task may disrupt another visual-spatial task.

• A verbal and a simple visual task may be completed together more successfully.

Evidence from the case of KF

The case of KF has been used to support the separation of working memory components.

KF experienced greater difficulty processing verbal or auditory information, while visual-spatial processing was relatively more intact.

This suggests that:

• The phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad can be affected separately.

• Short-term processing is unlikely to be one single, unitary store.

• Different forms of information depend on different components.

However, evidence from one unusual individual may not represent how working memory operates in everyone.

The strengths and limitations of this evidence are explored in comparing and evaluating memory models.

A limitation of the central executive

The central executive is an important component, but its exact operation can appear vague.

It is described as directing attention and allocating resources, yet this may cover several different mental processes.

This raises questions such as:

• How does it decide which task receives attention?

• Is the central executive one system or several processes?

• How are its limits measured?

• How does it coordinate the other components?

This does not mean that the central executive has no value. It means that the component may require a more precise explanation.

The working memory model and the multi-store model

Multi-store model	Working memory model
Describes STM as one store	Divides working memory into several components
Focuses on movement between sensory register, STM and LTM	Focuses on active short-term processing
Emphasises attention, rehearsal and retrieval	Emphasises attentional control and specialised components
Gives a broad account of the memory system	Gives a detailed account of working memory
Includes sensory register and LTM as stores	Includes links with LTM but does not aim to explain its full structure

The working memory model was not designed to provide a complete explanation of long-term memory. Criticising it simply because it does not divide LTM into different types therefore

misses the model’s main purpose.

How to apply the model in an examination

Use this structure:

1. Identify the component.

2. Select the scenario detail.

3. Explain the component’s function.

4. State how it helps or limits performance.

Weak application

Priya uses the phonological loop because she is listening.

This identifies a component but provides little explanation.

Stronger application

Priya uses the phonological loop to process and temporarily retain the spoken instructions. The phonological store holds the sound of the words while the articulatory control process rehearses them.

For the episodic buffer:

The episodic buffer combines the spoken instructions with Priya’s mental image and relevant knowledge retrieved from long-term memory.

Identifying components from scenario clues

Scenario clue	Likely component
Directing or switching attention	Central executive
Coordinating two activities	Central executive
Listening to spoken information	Phonological loop
Silently repeating words or numbers	Articulatory control process
Temporarily holding speech sounds	Phonological store
Imagining colour or shape	Visual cache
Processing movement or location	Inner scribe
Following a map or visual route	Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Combining verbal and visual information	Episodic buffer
Linking current processing with LTM	Episodic buffer

Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡

Examiner hint: Do not confuse the working memory model with the multi-store model. The central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer belong to the WMM.

Examiner hint: Include characteristics such as coding and capacity when outlining the components. Merely naming the four components may not provide enough detail for a high-level answer.

Examiner hint: Be precise about the episodic buffer. It combines information from different sources and links working memory with long-term memory. It is not the same as episodic long-term memory.

Examiner hint: In application questions, focus on the components clearly demonstrated by the scenario. Do not force every component into an answer when the details support only one or two.

Examiner hint: When discussing the case of KF, remember that verbal or auditory processing was impaired while visual-spatial processing was relatively intact. Do not reverse the pattern.

Examiner hint: Do not criticise the WMM for failing to describe the full structure of long-term memory. The model was designed primarily to explain active short-term processing.

Examiner hint: Use specialist terminology accurately. Strong responses distinguish the phonological store from the articulatory control process and visual processing from spatial processing.

Common Mistakes ⚠️

Mistake: Describing the central executive as a storage system

Why this is incorrect:

Its main role is to direct attention and coordinate the other components.

How to improve:

Refer to attentional control, resource allocation and coordination.

Mistake: Saying that the central executive has an unlimited capacity

Why this is incorrect:

Its attentional resources are limited, which is why demanding tasks may interfere with one another.

How to improve:

Link divided attention to limited central executive capacity.

Mistake: Treating the phonological loop as one undivided part

Why this is incorrect:

It contains the phonological store and articulatory control process.

How to improve:

Explain what each part does and how rehearsal creates a loop.

Mistake: Confusing the phonological store with the articulatory process

Why this is incorrect:

The phonological store holds speech sounds. The articulatory process rehearses information and converts written words into an acoustic code.

How to improve:

Remember:

• Store = inner ear.

• Rehearsal process = inner voice.

Mistake: Saying that the phonological loop processes all sensory information

Why this is incorrect:

It mainly processes verbal and auditory material.

How to improve:

Use the visuo-spatial sketchpad for images, locations and movement.

Mistake: Treating visual and spatial information as identical

Why this is incorrect:

Visual information concerns appearance, while spatial information concerns position and movement.

How to improve:

Use examples to make the distinction clear.

Mistake: Calling the episodic buffer episodic memory

Why this is incorrect:

The episodic buffer is a temporary working-memory component. Episodic memory is a type of long-term memory for personal events.

How to improve:

Refer to integration, temporary storage and the link with LTM.

Mistake: Saying that the episodic buffer stores everything permanently

Why this is incorrect:

The episodic buffer has a limited capacity and temporarily combines information.

How to improve:

Distinguish temporary integration from long-term storage.

Mistake: Assuming that two tasks using different components never interfere

Why this is incorrect:

The central executive still has to coordinate both tasks, and demanding activities may compete for attention.

How to improve:

State that interference is usually less likely, not impossible.

Mistake: Listing components without applying them

Why this is incorrect:

A scenario question requires links between details and psychological functions.

How to improve:

Explain exactly what each component processes in the situation.

Mistake: Using an irrelevant criticism

Why this is incorrect:

The WMM was not designed to give a complete account of long-term-memory structure.

How to improve:

Evaluate whether it successfully explains active short-term processing.

Exam-Style Questions ✍️

Question 1

Which component of the working memory model controls and allocates attention?

A. Phonological store

B. Central executive

C. Visual cache

D. Episodic buffer

[1 mark]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Answer: B. Central executive

Question 2

Outline the role of the central executive.

[3 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO1 = 3

Award 1 mark each for:

• Directing or controlling attention.

• Allocating processing resources to the other components of working memory.

• Coordinating information or allowing attention to be divided between tasks.

Example answer

The central executive controls attention and allocates limited processing resources to the other components of working memory. It also coordinates the components when more than one task is being carried out.

Question 3

Explain one difference between the phonological store and the articulatory control process.

[3 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO1 = 3

• 1 mark: The phonological store temporarily holds acoustic/verbal information.

• 1 mark: The articulatory control process rehearses verbal information using subvocal repetition.

• 1 mark: Clear comparison or elaboration.

Indicative content

• Phonological store = inner ear.

• Articulatory control process = inner voice.

• Rehearsal refreshes information in the phonological store.

Example answer

The phonological store temporarily holds speech-based information and acts like an ‘inner ear’. The articulatory control process acts like an ‘inner voice’, rehearsing information through silent repetition so that it remains available in the phonological store.

Question 4

Amelia silently repeats a new telephone number until she can enter it into her contacts.

Explain Amelia’s behaviour using the phonological loop.

[4 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO2 = 4

Award 1 mark each for:

• The telephone number is verbal/acoustic information processed by the phonological loop.

• It is temporarily held in the phonological store.

• Silent repetition uses the articulatory control process.

• Rehearsal keeps the number available until Amelia enters it.

Example answer

The telephone number is verbal information, so it is processed by Amelia’s phonological loop. It is held temporarily in the phonological store, while silently repeating it uses the articulatory control process. This rehearsal keeps the number available until she can enter it into her contacts.

Question 5

Tariq looks at a floor plan and imagines moving furniture into different positions.

Explain Tariq’s behaviour using the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

[4 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO2 = 4

Award 1 mark each for:

• The floor plan involves visual information.

• The positions of furniture involve spatial information.

• Both are processed temporarily by the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

• Tariq can use this component to mentally manipulate the furniture positions.

Example answer

Tariq uses the visuo-spatial sketchpad because the floor plan requires visual and spatial processing. It temporarily holds information about the appearance and positions of the objects, allowing him to mentally move the furniture into different locations.

Question 6

Explain the role of the episodic buffer in the working memory model.

[4 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO1 = 4

Award 1 mark for each relevant point, up to 4 marks.

Indicative content

• A temporary, limited-capacity component.

• Integrates information from different working-memory components.

• Combines information from different modalities into a coherent representation.

• Provides a link between working memory and long-term memory.

• Information is integrated into episodes.

AQA explicitly credits the episodic buffer as integrating information from other stores and providing a link to LTM.

Example answer

The episodic buffer is a temporary, limited-capacity store that integrates information from the other components of working memory. It combines information from different sources into coherent episodes and also provides a link between working memory and long-term memory.

Question 7

A student listens to a description of a historical battle while looking at a map and connecting the information with facts learned in a previous lesson.

Use the working memory model to explain how the student processes this information.

[6 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO2 = 6

Award credit for effective application of the components of the working memory model.

Indicative content

• The spoken description is processed by the phonological loop.

• The map is processed by the visuo-spatial sketchpad.

• These different tasks can be processed simultaneously because they use different components.

• The central executive directs attention and coordinates the components.

• Previous knowledge is retrieved from long-term memory.

• The episodic buffer integrates the verbal, visual and long-term-memory information.

Example answer

The spoken description is processed by the phonological loop, while the map is processed by the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Because these use different components, the student can process both at the same time. The central executive allocates attention between them. Relevant facts are retrieved from long-term memory, and the episodic buffer integrates these with the spoken and visual information into a coherent understanding of the battle.

Question 8

An experienced chef can hold a conversation while preparing a familiar dish. A beginner struggles to listen to instructions while completing the same preparation.

Use the central executive to explain the difference between their experiences.

[6 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO2 = 6

Award credit for effective application of the central executive and attentional capacity.

Indicative content

• The central executive has limited attentional capacity.

• Preparing a familiar dish is relatively automatic for the experienced chef.

• It therefore requires fewer central-executive resources.

• The chef has sufficient resources remaining for conversation.

• Preparing the dish is less automatic for the beginner.

• It requires more conscious attention, leaving insufficient capacity to listen to instructions at the same time.

AQA has previously used this exact principle when crediting why an experienced driver can dual-task more successfully than a novice driver.

Example answer

The central executive has limited attentional capacity. Preparing the familiar dish is largely automatic for the experienced chef, so it requires relatively few attentional resources and enough capacity remains for conversation. For the beginner, preparing the dish requires much more conscious attention. This places greater demands on the central executive, making it difficult to divide attention between preparing the food and listening to instructions.

Question 9

A psychologist asks participants to complete pairs of tasks.

Task pair	Mean number of errors
Repeating a word list and listening to spoken instructions	14.2
Repeating a word list and copying a simple visual pattern	6.1
Mentally rotating a shape and tracking a moving object	15.0

Describe the pattern shown in the results. Use the working memory model to explain the differences.

[6 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

Mark scheme

AO2 = 6

Award up to 3 marks for describing the results and 3 marks for explaining them.

Indicative content

Pattern

• Errors are high when repeating words and listening to spoken instructions, 14.2.

• Errors are much lower when repeating words and copying a visual pattern, 6.1.

• Errors are highest when mentally rotating a shape and tracking an object, 15.0.

Explanation

• Word repetition and spoken instructions both use the phonological loop, so they compete for its limited capacity.

• Word repetition and copying a visual pattern use different components, the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad, so interference is lower.

• Mental rotation and tracking a moving object both use the visuo-spatial sketchpad, causing greater interference and more errors.

AQA uses dual-task performance as evidence for separate limited-capacity components within working memory.

Example answer

Errors are high when participants repeat a word list while listening to spoken instructions, at 14.2, and highest when they mentally rotate a shape while tracking an object, at 15.0. Errors are much lower, 6.1, when word repetition is combined with copying a visual pattern. The working memory model explains this because two tasks using the same component compete for its limited capacity. Word repetition and spoken instructions both use the phonological loop, while mental rotation and visual tracking both use the visuo-spatial sketchpad. In contrast, word repetition and visual copying use different components, so they interfere less with one another.

Question 10

Discuss the working memory model. Refer to the central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer in your answer.

[16 marks]

reveal mark scheme and indicative content

AQA A-Level Psychology Home