Lecture 10 (Ch. 12 - Executive Function) Flashcards
What are executive functions?
higher order, top down, social decisions, purposeful actions, active
Three basic control functions
1 - Inhibition (Supervisory attentional control: Selectivity)
2 - Updating/monitoring (working memory)
3 - Set shifting (cognitive flexibility)
Examples of everyday executive functioning
Problem solving, planning and organization, judgement and reasoning, decision making
What is a problem?
Obstacle between present state and goal
Solution is not immediately obvious/challenging
How to understand a problem
Create a problem space - Initial state, intermediate state, goal state
Represent problem in mind (matrices, diagrams)
If we need to restructure then change representation in mind
Problem solving strategies
Algorithms (exhaustive research)
Analogies - transfer: solution from similar problem (source) guides solution (target) of new problem.
Surface features
specific elements
Structure features
underlying principles
Sometimes surface features get in the way!
Means - ends analysis
Use of sub-problems –> decrease distance between initial state and goal state
Factors that influence problem solving
Expertise, Mental set, functional fixedness
How Experts Solve Problems
Solve problems in their field
Faster & Higher success rate
Why?
More knowledge
Better memory/organization (represent/restructure)
Use of structural approaches
Experts also spend more time analyzing problem
BUT: no better when outside their field
Sometimes – less open to new ways (fixed mental set)
Mental Set
Overly rigid (fixed) nothing about approach (schema)
Based on past experience (with similar problems)
Can be manipulated - Classic ex: water-jug problem
Functional fixedness
Object had familiar functions
link with concreteness in semantic knowledge (ex: Candle problem, two strings)
Non-insight problems
requires systematic, gradual, rigorous solution (ex: algebra)
Insight problems
Aha moment
often requires restructuring
Nature of Creativity
innovative thinking, novel ideas, new connections b/w existing ideas
Divergent thinking
A definition : Anything made by people that is in some way novel and has potential value or utility
Increased creativity linked to
Intrinsic motivation
Self-efficacy
Reduced latent inhibition (links b/w things most people don’t)
But not
•Perseverance
•Mental illness (but members of family were)
Executive f(x) and the brain
frontal lobes - prefrontal region
Cold Executive F(x)
Well defined, structured
planning/organization
problem solving
Hot Executive F(x)
ill-defined, not well structured
judgement and reasoning
decision making
Dorsolateral Syndrome
COLD
- Decreased WM
- Problems with problem solving
- Poor shifting (flexibility)
Orbitofrontal Syndrome
HOT
- decreased judgement (social)
- Poor decision making
- decreased self-awareness
Dorsolateral Pre-Frontal (Cold)
Types of executive Dysfunction
- Problems with inhibition
- Decreased working memory
- Decreased flexibility (shifting)
- Problems with problem solving
- Poor conceptual reasoning
oHow does this show itself during testing?
- Perseverative responses: Abnormal repetition of specific behaviours (trails B)
- Stimulus-Boundedness
- Poor planning/Disorganization
- Problems integrating feedback
oHow does this present in everyday life?
- May not be immediately evident
- Easily distracted
- Problems with planning/organization (Ex: tangential speech, missed appointments)
- Poor prospective memory (appointments, medications)
- Problems with novel, ambiguous situations
