The assumption that attention and short-term memory combine to play a crucial role in cognition continues to influence cognitive modeling. We trace the development of the multicomponent model of working memory, initially consisting of a limited-capacity central executive controlling two domain-specific systems: the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad. The later introduction of the episodic buffer addressed the need to explain how information from different sources is bound into unified episodes. Subsequent developments suggest that the buffer functions as a consciously accessible, multidimensional interface combining storage with executive manipulation and attentional control. These developments lead to a reformulation of the model in which the episodic buffer, renamed the 'awareness buffer', is placed at the focal point of working memory.
Allen et al. (2026) studied this question.