{"id":14338,"date":"2023-07-14T07:55:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T22:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/?p=14338"},"modified":"2023-07-14T07:55:19","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T22:55:19","slug":"key-study-working-memory-and-a-dual-task-study-on-chess-robbins-et-al-1996","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/2023\/07\/14\/key-study-working-memory-and-a-dual-task-study-on-chess-robbins-et-al-1996\/","title":{"rendered":"Key study: Working memory and a dual task study on chess (Robbins et al. 1996)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking for a study that supports the working memory model? Here’s a good one.<\/em> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Working memory is the stuff we’re thinking about right now. The working memory model<\/em> (WMM) was an elaboration of the multi-store model of memory (MSM) as it zooms in on the short-term store and explains how our short-term (working) memory actually works. <\/strong>If you can comprehend what working memory is and you can diagram the model, the next step is to understand the supporting evidence. Let’s look at one study that supports the working memory model.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before we look at the study, let’s quickly review the model. The WMM states that current thoughts (our working memory) are controlled by the central executive<\/strong>. It’s like “a little boss in the head” that controls the slave systems. Those slave systems are the visuospatial sketchpad<\/strong> and the\u00a0phonological loop<\/strong>. The sketchpad is responsible for visual information, while the phonological loop is audio information. The following study is evidence that these two slave systems are seperate and different from one another. This is a major claim of the working memory model. It’s similar to the multi-store model’s claim that short-term and long-term memory are different.<\/p>\n

\"File:Baddley's

Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory zooms in on short-term memory to explain what’s happening when we’re thinking about stuff.<\/p><\/div>\n

One problem with the model so far is that it doesn’t explain why sometimes people can appear to keep heaps and heaps of information in their working memory, like actors in a Shakespearean play or memory champs who can remember random orders of hundreds of decks of cards. To explain this, the episodic buffer<\/strong> was introduced into the model. This is a place where information from long-term memory is kept until it’s needed. So the next two lines in an actor’s Shakespearean monologue are in their working memory, while the rest of the monologue they need to remember sits behind the curtain in the episodic buffer waiting for its entrance.<\/p>\n

Dual Task Studies\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Royalty-free

Which is harder – trying to memorise chess piece arrangements while saying “the” repeatedly or while also trying to type the same 4 numbers on a keyboard over and over? If you know the answer, you understand the working memory model.<\/p><\/div>\n

When using studies to support a theory, it’s import to know what part of the theory the study is relevant to. It’s not often that one study will support every single claim of a theory. Dual task studies test the claim that there are two separate systems for visual (sight) and audio (sound) memories. The dual task paradigm is an experimental procedure that requires participants to think about unrelated visual and verbal information at the same time. For example, start singing your favourite song and now picture yourself in the mirror singing that song. This is easy because you’re using the two different slave systems. They are separate from each other so your working memory isn’t overloaded (we can only think about four things at any one time). Now try singing your favourite song and writing down the lyrics to a different<\/em> song. This is much, much harder. Why? They’re both using your phonological loop and it’s maxing out its small capacity. The fact that doing two tasks that use the same slave system is harder than two tasks that use different slave systems is evidence for the fact that these are separate systems.<\/p>\n

Exam tip: Don’t use everyday examples like the one I’ve given you above. Remember your purpose and audience. I use these examples to help you understand this tricky concept. In your exams and essays, you’re writing to show you’re a brilliant psychologist who can explain tricky concepts using proper academic language and empirical evidence (studies) not anecdotal examples. Your audience (your teacher and examiner), don’t need this stuff explained in simple terms as they already know it.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Key Study: Playing Chess and Working Memory (Robbins et al. 1996)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Aim:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n