This is the best thread idea ever.
My first post was a really unclear explanation before the Unit 3 mid-year VCAA Psych exam
Essentially the phonological loop is a temporary store for sounds (think of a phone when you hear 'phono'), so when you're sub-vocally rehearsing verbal information you're using your phonological loop.
The Central Exec. however, coordinates or integrates material from the slave systems of working memory. It makes the decisions and combines the loop and the sketchpad (I like to think of the Exec as the 'Big Boss').
For example, working out the price of 5 tins of Pringles, your C. Exec would decide that you need your 5 times tables, order the Buffer to retrieve these times tables from LTM, at which point the sketchpad might form the mental image of "5 x 2.45", the phonological loop might be in use "5 x 2.45, 5 x 2.45, 5 x 2.45" while the Central Executive coordinates that material and makes the decision as to how much those Pringles are going to cost you.
I'm really sorry if I just confused you more. I'm not used to explaining things without the use of my hands and verbal intonation lol.
My first PM was to a user called katykins - I asked a Theatre Studies question... I think we're the only two people in the history of ATAR Notes to have ever taken Theatre Studies.