Executive Functioning (EFs)

Question 1

What are executive functions?

Answer 1

Mental processes needed when concentration and/or attention are required. They are needed in situations where going on “automatic” would be ill-advised.

Question 2

What are the three core executive functions (EFs)?

Answer 2

1. Inhibition
2. Working memory
3. Cognitive flexibility

Question 3

What are some other executive functions?

Answer 3

Reasoning, problem-solving, and planning. These are built upon the three core EFs

Question 4

What is inhibitory control (of attention)?

Answer 4

○ Controlling one’s attention, behavior, thoughts, and/or emotions.
○ Enables us to selectively attend to something while ignoring other stimuli.

Question 5

Why is inhibitory control important?

Answer 5

Without it, we would constantly act on impulse, conditioned responses, or environmental stimuli.

Question 6

What is selective attention, and why is it important?

Answer 6

○ Choosing to ignore certain stimuli and attend to others based on goals or intentions.
○ Important in situations with many competing stimuli, like a party or a classroom.

Question 7

What is involuntary attention?

Answer 7

Attention that is driven by the properties of a stimulus, attracting our attention whether we want it to or not.

Question 8

What is self-control, and what does it include?

Answer 8

○ The aspect of inhibitory control that deals with controlling one’s behavior and emotions.
○ Includes:
■ Discipline to stay on task despite distractions
■ Delaying gratification

Question 9

What is working memory (WM)?

Answer 9

Holding information in mind and mentally manipulating it. Distinct from short-term memory, which only holds information.

Question 10

What are the two types of working memory?

Answer 10

○ Verbal WM
○ Nonverbal (visual-spatial) WM

Question 11

How do WM and inhibitory control relate to each other?

Answer 11

They support and influence each other. Inhibitory control aids WM by suppressing irrelevant information.

Question 12

What is cognitive flexibility?

Answer 12

○ Being able to change perspectives and adjust to new demands.
○ Requires being flexible enough to adjust to changing demands or priorities.
○ Thinking “outside the box”.

Question 13

How does cognitive flexibility integrate other EFs?

Answer 13

It integrates both inhibitory control and working memory.

Question 14

How do EFs impact our lives?

Answer 14

Better EFs are associated with:
○ Better mental and physical health
○ Improved quality of life
○ Greater school and job success
○ Stronger marital harmony
○ Increased public safety

Question 15

What is the difference between “hot” and “cold” EFs?

Answer 15

○ Hot EFs: Related to emotion, reward, and motivation.
○ Cold EFs: Related to purely cognitive information processing.

Question 16

What brain regions are involved in hot and cold EFs?

Answer 16

○ Hot EFs: Orbital and medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, perigenual and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ventral ACC).
○ Cold EFs: Lateral prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral and ventral prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.

Question 17

What are the two main functional connectivity branches in the prefrontal-cingular network model?

Answer 17

1. Connects the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - associated with cold EFs.
2. Connects the orbital-medial PFC, ventral ACC, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) - associated with hot EFs.

Question 18

Are hot and cold EFs completely separate and unrelated?

Answer 18

No. While different brain regions are associated with each, they are not functionally limited to one or the other, and the two types of EFs interact.

Question 19

What is sustained attention (vigilance)?

Answer 19

The ability to maintain focus on a particular section of the environment for an extended time, without being distracted.

Question 20

What are some examples of sustained attention?

Answer 20

Reading a book, monitoring an environment for changes, studying

Question 21

What is divided attention?

Answer 21

The ability to focus on and process multiple tasks at once (multitasking).

Question 22

What are the limitations of divided attention?

Answer 22

○ Mental capacity is limited and divided among tasks being performed.
○ Performance on each task suffers when attention is divided.
○ Cognitive processes may need to shift between tasks, reducing efficiency.

Question 23

What is selective attention?

Answer 23

Focusing cognitive processes on a specific task or aspect of the environment while filtering out irrelevant or distracting stimuli.

Question 24

How does selective attention benefit us?

Answer 24

Allows us to efficiently process information and avoid being overwhelmed by sensory input

Question 25

What is inattentional blindness?

Answer 25

Failure to notice an event because attention is focused on another task, highlighting limitations in attentional capacity.

Question 26

What is change blindness?

Answer 26

Failure to detect changes in the presence, identity, or location of objects in a scene, because attention is limited and focused elsewhere.

Question 27

What is consciousness, and what processes are involved?

Answer 27

A level of responsiveness of the mind, involving at least:
○ Arousal
○ Perception
○ Attention
○ Working memory

Question 28

Does consciousness simply mean being responsive to stimuli or able to move?

Answer 28

No. Most definitions go beyond basic responsiveness and consider it a function of numerous interacting systems

Question 29

What is known about the brain regions essential for consciousness?

Answer 29

Little is known, but the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), medial frontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex are inactive during unconscious states.