Early Development of Executive Function: A Problem-Solving Framework

Abstract

Executive function (EF) accounts have now been offered for several disorders with childhood onset (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, early-treated phenylketonuria), and EF has been linked to the development of numerous abilities (e.g., attention, rule use, theory of mind). However, efforts to explain behavior in terms of EF have been hampered by an inadequate characterization of EF itself. What is the function that is accomplished by EF? The present analysis attempts to ground the construct of EF in an account of problem solving and thereby to integrate temporally and functionally distinct aspects of EF within a coherent framework. According to this problem-solving framework, EF is a macroconstruct that spans 4 phases of problem solving (representation, planning, execution, and evaluation). When analyzed into subfunctions, macroconstructs such as EF permit the integration of findings from disparate content domains, which are often studied in isolation from the broader context of reasoning and action. A review of the literature on the early development of EF reveals converging evidence for domain-general changes in all aspects of EF.

Neurocognitive elements of antisocial behavior: Relevance of an orbitofrontal cortex account

“…A considerable amount of research has focused on the construct of executive function. Executive function is a key component for the self-regulation of thought and action and emphasizes cognitive processes associated with problem solving (Zelazo, Carter, Reznick, & Frye, 1997). Related processes involve inhibition control, working memory, as well as language and general memory abilities.…”

Rough‐and‐tumble play and the regulation of aggression: an observational study of father–child play dyads

“…On average, when children reach 3-4 years of age, RTP accounts for roughly 8% of total parent-child interactions [Pellegrini and Smith, 1998]. Typically, this period is also important in the development of the selfregulatory functions of the frontal lobes [Séguin and Zelazo, 2005;Zelazo et al, 1997], especially, the ability to regulate aggressive behavior. Thus, RTP is a potentially important context for studying individual differences in father-child relationships and the impact of these differences on the development of aggressive behavior in children.…”

Inhibition and young children’s performance on the Tower of London task

“…Within this approach, the primary concern is with understanding how the human cognitive system is organized and how it operates at a mechanistic level in providing highlevel cognitive functions, such as reasoning and problem solving, within the context of general computational control functions. Although accounts of the executive (see e.g., Zelazo, Reznick & Frye, 1997;Shallice, 2002) and the extent to which control is achieved by a single, unitary process or by many, diverse processes are contended (Miyake, Friedman, Emerson, Witzki, Howerter & Wager, 2000), a consensus does exist with respect to the notion that certain control functions appear central to human cognition. These so-called executive functions are commonly viewed as a set of "general purpose control mechanisms that modulate the operation of various cognitive subprocesses and thereby regulate the dynamics of cognition" (Miyake et al, 2000, p. 50) and are widely assumed to form the basis of our ability to perform complex tasks, including reasoning, planning and problem solving.…”