Which statement best describes the central executive's function?

• A. It directs attention and coordinates the activities of the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad.
• B. It long-term stores information.
• C. It handles motor responses exclusively.
• D. It is responsible for maintaining rehearsed items in the phonological loop.

Answer: (A)

The central executive is the attention-control system of working memory. It directs focus, allocates processing resources, and coordinates the activities of the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad, helping with planning, task-switching, and inhibition. It doesn’t store information long-term, and it isn’t limited to motor responses or to maintaining rehearsed items—that’s the role of the other subsystems (the phonological loop handles articulatory rehearsal, and long-term memory stores information). So the statement that it directs attention and coordinates the two subsystems best captures its function.