In the Working Memory Model, what is the function of the central executive?

In the Working Memory Model, what is the function of the central executive?

• A. Directs attention and coordinates the subsystems.
• B. Stores visual information.
• C. Rehearses verbal information.
• D. Integrates information with long-term memory.

Answer: (A)

The central executive acts as the attention-control system, directing focus, switching tasks, and coordinating what the different parts of working memory do. It decides which information to attend to, what to manipulate, and how to allocate cognitive resources, especially in demanding tasks. It isn’t a storage buffer and it doesn’t rehearse or hold information itself—those roles belong to the phonological loop (verbal rehearsal) and the visuospatial sketchpad (visual/spatial storage). Integration with long-term memory and cross-modal processing are handled more by the episodic buffer, with the central executive overseeing the overall coordination. So the best description is that it directs attention and coordinates the subsystems.

The central executive acts as the attention-control system, directing focus, switching tasks, and coordinating what the different parts of working memory do. It decides which information to attend to, what to manipulate, and how to allocate cognitive resources, especially in demanding tasks. It isn’t a storage buffer and it doesn’t rehearse or hold information itself—those roles belong to the phonological loop (verbal rehearsal) and the visuospatial sketchpad (visual/spatial storage). Integration with long-term memory and cross-modal processing are handled more by the episodic buffer, with the central executive overseeing the overall coordination. So the best description is that it directs attention and coordinates the subsystems.