How is the Corsi block-tapping task interpreted within the Working Memory Model?

• A. It measures formal memory capacity across all modalities.
• B. It assesses central executive capacity to coordinate tasks.
• C. It measures episodic buffer capacity for sequences.
• D. It assesses visuo-spatial sketchpad capacity to store and recall spatial sequences.

Answer: (D)

The Corsi block-tapping task targets the visuo-spatial sketchpad’s ability to store and recall spatial sequences. In the task you watch a sequence of blocks light up and must reproduce that same spatial order, which relies on encoding locations and preserving their arrangement in working memory. This is a visuospatial, not verbal or cross-modal, memory process, so it maps onto the visuo-spatial sketchpad component rather than the central executive, phonological loop, or episodic buffer. The central executive would be more involved if you had to manipulate or switch attention during the task, while the episodic buffer handles integrating information across modalities into coherent episodes. So the best interpretation is that it measures visuo-spatial sketchpad capacity to store and recall spatial sequences.