What are the two main components typically described as the slave systems in the working memory model?

• A. Episodic buffer and phonological loop.
• B. Phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad.
• C. Central executive and phonological loop.
• D. Long-term memory and sensory store.

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that working memory includes specialized subsystems that handle different kinds of information under the direction of a central control system. The two slave systems are the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad. The phonological loop manages verbal and auditory data, using a phonological store and an articulatory rehearsal process to keep sounds active, which is why it’s tied to things like repeating a phone number in your head. The visuo-spatial sketchpad handles visual and spatial information, allowing you to form and manipulate mental images, track locations, or visualize paths and shapes.

These two work in parallel and are guided by the central executive, which allocates attention and coordinates processing. The episodic buffer is a later addition that links these subsystems with long-term memory, but it isn’t one of the primary slave systems. Long-term memory and sensory store are separate storage components, not slave systems.