Thread is up again, I have to admit that the discussion here is very enjoyable to read.
One thing I was told on the Airbus is that the ecam memo is telling you the state of a particular switch, but not that it is working or not. The example of the parking brake mentioned above is very good, the brake memo is telling you the position of the switch/handle but not if it is working as intended. Then for a malfunction or swith position disagree we would have an ECAM, in the case of the parking brake that ECAM, (Parking brake not set) could come late if the aircraft has started rolling on a downslope apron and the chokes are not yet in position.
Other statement I've read and I like, is that about the tactile feeling the authothrottle has as telling you what it is going to do next. In the Airbus we have the N1 trend cues telling us exactly that, what the engine response will be in the next second. I tend to look to these from second to second in gusty conditions to confirm what is going on, and it comes naturally to my scan of airspeed, pitch, VS and then engine cue. All in an almost single glance.