Annual Review of Psychology· 2012Q1· Review
Executive Functions
- 12,438citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2012year
Short summary
Executive functions (EFs) are a set of cognitive processes enabling goal-directed behavior, including inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. This review discusses their developmental progression, measurement, and controversies surrounding their definitions and relationships with other constructs.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Core executive functions include inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.
- The paper reviews developmental trajectories and measurement methods for EFs.
- Controversies regarding EF definitions and their links to other cognitive constructs are discussed.
- Social, emotional, and physical health factors significantly influence EF performance.
- EFs are presented as trainable and improvable through practice.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) make possible mentally playing with ideas; taking the time to think before acting; meeting novel, unanticipated challenges; resisting temptations; and staying focused. Core EFs are inhibition [response inhibition (self-control--resisting temptations and resisting acting impulsively) and interference control (selective attention and cognitive inhibition)], working memory, and cognitive flexibility (including creatively thinking "outside the box," seeing anything from different perspectives, and quickly and flexibly adapting to changed circumstances). The developmental progression and representative measures of each are discussed. Controversies are addressed (e.g., the relation between EFs and fluid intelligence, self-regulation, executive attention, and effortful control, and the relation between working memory and inhibition and attention). The importance of social, emotional, and physical health for cognitive health is discussed because stress, lack of sleep, loneliness, or lack of exercise each impair EFs. That EFs are trainable and can be improved with practice is addressed, including diverse methods tried thus far.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Annual Review of Psychology, 2012 · DOI ↗
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Field: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology