What aspect of working memory does the central executive primarily manage?

The central executive plays a crucial role in managing attention and coordinating information in working memory. It is responsible for overseeing the flow of information from various subsystems, including the phonological loop (which deals with auditory information), and the visuo-spatial sketchpad (which handles visual and spatial information). The central executive facilitates attention switching, allowing individuals to focus on relevant information while ignoring distractions, and it aids in decision-making processes by evaluating and integrating information.

In this context, attention switching and decision-making are essential functions of the central executive as they enable efficient processing and manipulation of information in working memory. The ability to shift attention and make decisions based on the information at hand is fundamental to cognitive tasks, making the central executive central to higher-level executive functions in working memory.