The Working Memory Model (WMM) offers a framework for understanding cognitive processes involved in temporarily storing and manipulating information. Specifically regarding Landry and Bartling’s 2011 articulatory suppression study, the WMM explains the observed decline in performance on verbal working memory tasks when participants are asked to repeatedly say an irrelevant word aloud. This suppression effect occurs because the articulatory loop, a component of the WMM responsible for processing auditory information and rehearsing verbal material, becomes overloaded. The concurrent articulation task interferes with the phonological loop’s ability to maintain and rehearse verbal information, leading to reduced recall accuracy and span.
Understanding the impact of articulatory suppression is crucial for comprehending the limitations of verbal working memory. This insight is valuable across various fields, including education, cognitive psychology, and communication sciences. It informs strategies for enhancing memory performance, developing effective communication methods, and addressing learning difficulties associated with verbal processing. The Landry and Bartling study, positioned within the broader context of research on the phonological loop and articulatory suppression, solidified empirical support for the WMM’s explanatory power regarding verbal working memory limitations.
