What are the advantages of working memory theory (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974) over Atkinson and Shiffrin model of memory (1968)? Why the working memory theory was necessary?
I would recommend that you read the works by Nelson Cowan regarding short-term memory, long-term memory and working memory to get a clearer picture on this topic.
Regards,
Javi
Dear Javier,
Thank you for your suggestion. I am familiar with some of his works. Is there any of them (or from other authors) more related to my question, or from a critical view?
Best.
You may want to read his paper What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory? Prog Brain Res. 2008;169: 323–338. doi:10.1016/S0079-6123(07)00020-9.
Atkinson & Shiffrin tried to create a model of memory functioning, while the model by Baddeley and Hitch is more focused on one specific aspect of short-term memory. In my clinical and research practice, the Levels of Processing model by Craik & Lochart is more useful than the one by Atkinson & Shiffrin. For example, you might expect that a patient with Alzheimer's disease recall more words from a list if presented with a semantic category (Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test) than if presented auditorily (Rey auditory Verbal Learning Test), even if words from both lists are temporarily stored the same amount of time in the A&S short-term store. This can be later used for intervention (e.g., repetition within the short-term store is not a good way to teach patients with AD verbal material, definitely not better than deep processing).
Regards,
Javi
Dear Majid Manoochehri
Why the working memory theory was necessary : Aspects of our present environment and present thought and past/established representations and procedures DO OBVIOUSLY COME TOGETHER (demonstrably) for us to progress or move on in new thought or in action. On the other hand, there is not so much new there (vs A and S). Working Memory is just active STM and, since that is always active (in some real "forward-moving" sense), WM and STM are the same thing: the WM construct just correctly (explicitly) ties in that which in fact "ties in". Related to this: Importantly, WM is clearly related to other kinds of well-established Memories: especially: procedural, declarative, episodic, visual-spacial, rehearsal "loops" AND to the "episodic buffer"* (a good, but yet-to-be better defined "hypothetical") _AND_ WM is related to important aspects of the current context. STM should not be considered "just anything" or random -- it is guided, given content, and then (at a given time) does some processing of its own (affecting other Memories).
* FOOTNOTE : The Episodic Buffer was not in the old A and S model.
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