Which statement best distinguishes the Working Memory Model from the Multi-Store Model?

• A. MSM posits separate sensory, short-term, and long-term stores with linear transfer; WMM includes a central executive and specialized subsystems.
• B. WMM has a central executive and specialized subsystems; MSM has a single store.
• C. WMM has only one short-term store; MSM has multiple.
• D. WMM explains only long-term memory formation.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how memory is structured and processed. The Multi-Store Model presents memory as distinct storage boxes—sensory memory, a short-term store, and a long-term store—with information moving in a largely linear path from one to the next, and with transfer to long-term memory driven by repetition. The Working Memory Model changes this picture by treating short-term memory as a dynamic workspace. It introduces a central executive that directs attention and coordinates processing, plus specialized subsystems for different kinds of information—the phonological loop for verbal data and the visuospatial sketchpad for visual and spatial data, with an episodic buffer added later to integrate across modalities and link to long-term memory.

So the statement that captures the key distinction says that the MSM posits separate sensory, short-term, and long-term stores with linear transfer, while the Working Memory Model includes a central executive and specialized subsystems. This reflects the shift from a simple storage-and-transfer view to a processing-focused, multi-component system.