Effortful control is associated with executive attention: A computational study

Abstract

Introduction Effortful control (EC) is the self‐regulatory aspect of temperament that is thought to reflect the efficiency of executive attention (EA). Findings on relationship between EC and performance on EA tasks among adults are still contradictory. This study used a computational approach to clarify whether greater self‐reported EC reflects better EA. Methods Four hundred twenty‐seven healthy subjects completed the Adult Temperament Questionnaires and the Attention Network Task‐revised, a conflict resolution task that gauges EA as the flanker effect (FE), that is, the difference in performances between incongruent and congruent trials. Here we also employed a drift‐diffusion model in which parameters reflecting the actual decisional process (drift rate) and the extra‐decisional time are extracted for congruent and incongruent trials. Results EC was not correlated with the FE computed with the classic approach, but correlated positively with drift rate for the incongruent trials, even when controlling for the drift rate in the congruent condition and the extra‐decisional time in the incongruent condition. Conclusion This study demonstrates an association between self‐reported EC and EA among adults. Specifically, EC is not associated with overall response facilitation but specifically with a greater ability to make goal‐oriented decisions when facing conflicting information.

The Relationship of Effortful Control to Academic Achievement via Children’s Learning-Related Behaviors

“…Since EFs can mainly be described by their cognitive and volitional character [38], it seems that it is the cool system of effortful control that overlaps with them. Taking together, the temperamentally based concept of EC and the neurocognitive concept of EF are important aspects of self-regulation and seem to share important features [39] [40] [41]. Caregiver ratings of EC have been found to be associated with a variety of so-called executive function tasks and both EC and EF have been found to demonstrate similar developmental trajectories through childhood [41] [42].…”

“…Taking together, the temperamentally based concept of EC and the neurocognitive concept of EF are important aspects of self-regulation and seem to share important features [39] [40] [41]. Caregiver ratings of EC have been found to be associated with a variety of so-called executive function tasks and both EC and EF have been found to demonstrate similar developmental trajectories through childhood [41] [42]. Although the correlations between these two constructs are rather modest in magnitude and the predictive validity that they provide for academic performance is independent [16] [18] [43] [44], EC and EF are very similar to each other in terms of attentional processes, but also as regards the ability to inhibit an impulsive response in favor of a most appropriate one [45] [46].…”