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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine pp 1–2Cite as

Executive Function

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Synonyms

Executive control resources; Supervisory attentional system

Definition

Executive functions (EFs) are a set of interrelated neurocognitive abilities/processes that arise from a distributed network within the cortex, with important nodes in the prefrontal and parietal regions. These cognitive operations are minimally reducible to the ability to inhibit prepotent responses, manipulate information in working memory, and maintain mental flexibility. These core abilities in turn potentiate a variety of behavioral tendencies that include the capacity to avoid impulsive responding, the ability to remain mindful of and effectively pursue goals, the ability to resist distraction, and the capacity to delay gratification.

Description

Interest in EFs emerged predominantly from the study of “frontal lobe” patients or individuals who have sustained damage to the frontal lobes of the brain. Such individuals were initially observed to demonstrate intact general cognitive abilities (i.e., IQ),...

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References and Further Readings

  • Hall, P. A., & Marteau, T. M. (2014). Executive function in the context of chronic disease prevention: Theory, research and practice. Preventive Medicine, 68, 44–50.

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  • Hofmann, W., Schmeichel, B. J., & Baddeley, A. D. (2012). Executive functions and self-regulation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16, 174–180. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2012.01.006.

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  • Marteau, T. M., & Hall, P. A. (2013). Breadlines, brains, and behaviour. British Medical Journal, 347, f6750. doi:10.1136/bmj.f6750.

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  • Miller, E. K., & Cohen, J. D. (2001). An integrative theory of prefrontal cortex function. Annual Reviews of Neuroscience, 24, 167–202.

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  • Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex “frontal lobe” tasks: A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41, 49–100.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shallice, T. (1988). From neuropsychology to mental structure. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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  • Stuss, D. T., & Knight, R. T. (2002). The principles of frontal lobe function. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 3028 Burt Matthews Hall, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Peter A. Hall

Authors
  1. Peter A. Hall
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter A. Hall .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA

    Marc Gellman

  2. Campbell University School of Pharmacy, Buies Creek, North Carolina, USA

    J. Rick Turner

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Hall, P.A. (2016). Executive Function. In: Gellman, M., Turner, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1126-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1126-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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