Hi, I am sorry if this question has already being asked, but with exams drawing nearer i just want to check some of my psych terms. I sort-of don't get the difference between central executive and episodic buffer. I know the central executive makes descisions and controls attention, whilst the episodic buffer mental represants various bits of info to be consciously worked on, but which is involved with LTM??? What if i was asked which retrieves information from LTM?
"which is involved with LTM???"Since the central executive is in control of attention, it decides what is worthy, or what deserves, to be processed into the long term and what doesnt.Once it has decided that "yes, this should go into the LTM", it will instruct the episodic buffer to combine both the auditory and visuals (to form a scene ("episode") in its unique storage space (episodic buffer has its only place of temporary storage) before being directly transferred into the LTM.
Thus they are both involved in the LTM. However episodic buffer is more directly involved.
"What if i was asked which retrieves information from LTM?" The episodic buffer retrieves information that it transferred to the LTM (however only under the control of the central executive, as this is the "boss") if the information requires modification or to be focused on at a specific time. So it is the episodic buffer that retrieves info from the LTM. But the central executive does direct the flow of LTM thoughts from working memory and attention and back to LTM, however it does this by using the episodic buffer. So its not the central executive that is directly involved in the retrieval of LTM.
I hope this answer is correct, this is my understanding, its quite a complex topic.