Executive Functions Flashcards
Executive Functions Definition
Sets of cognitive skills that allow us to manage our life and achieve our goals. Control our behaviour
3 Core EFs
- Inhibitory control
- Working memory
- cognitive flexibility
3 Higher Order EFs
- Problem solving
- Reasoning
- Planning
Inhibitory Control
Resist impulsive behavior to act in a more appropriate or long-term beneficial way
3 Aspects of Inhibitory Control
- Self control = resist temptation
- Discipline and perseverance = stay on task even w outside distractions
- Selective attention = what we acknowledge and what we ignore
Does everyone have the same inhibitory control?
nope, some people can struggle more/less w it
How do we measure selective attention and inhibitory control?
Stroop task
Working Memory
Mental workspace where we hold and process info here and now. Short term
Aspects of WM [2]
- Relating different concepts
- Making sense of info that unfolds over time
WM Capacity?
Very limited, critical for immediate processing
How do we measure WM?
By asking people to briefly remember increasing number sequences
Cognitive Flexibility
Taking multiple perspectives and angles towards a situation
Aspects of CF [3]
- Task switching
- Managing creative conflict, various perspectives and changing beliefs
- Thinking outside the box
How do we measure CF?
Torrance test
(20 circles, you have to turn each one into something unique
Assesses divergent thinking, flexible thinking and ideational fluency)
Are all EFs independent?
No, they’re inherently interlinked
ie, WM and IC inform each other about content and capacity, whereas CF relies on both holding [WM] and switching [IC]
How are EFs important? [8]
Increase:
- Mental health (act as a buffer, resilience)
- Physical health (maintain healthy life)
- Quality of life
- School readiness and success
- Job success
- Marital harmony
- Public safety
Where are EFs mostly located?
Frontal lobe, prefrontal especifically
Where is the CEN mainly hosted?
- Front parietal regions
- Posterior parietal cortex
- Dorsolateral PFC
Does the PFC mature quickly? How does this affect EFs
- no, it takes a long time, prolonged development
- grey matter drops over time
- but this is good since it gives us a chance to refine our EFs as we grow
When does the PFC And higher level cog functions develop?
During the second main wave of plasticity
What’s the connection between cognition and emotional regulation?
- Circular connection!
- As PFC develops we can better regulate our emotions
- the bad thing is that typically under emotional imbalance we lose access to our executive brain
How can we support executive functioning?
(6)
- Practice
- Challenging it
- Maintaining good physical conditions
- Positive mood and reasonable stress levels
- Social relatedness and support
- Metacognition
