Final answer:
The terms auditory memory, an episodic buffer, visuospatial memory, and a central executive refer to the components of the working memory model by Baddeley and Hitch, which is key to understanding how short-term memory is processed and regulated before transferring into long-term memory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The components mentioned: auditory memory, an episodic buffer, visuospatial memory, and a central executive, are integral parts of the working memory model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch. This model is a refinement of the Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory, which posits that different types of information are processed and stored in specialized short-term memory systems before possibly being transferred into long-term memory. The central executive acts as a control system that regulates the flow of information within working memory and is responsible for functions such as problem-solving, decision-making, and moving information into long-term memory.
These components perform critical functions in our cognitive system. The visuospatial sketchpad is used for holding and manipulating visual and spatial information, the phonological loop deals with spoken and written material, and the episodic buffer integrates information across these domains with a sense of time, thus creating sequential events. The central executive oversees these processes and interacts with long-term memory to help embed and retrieve information.