The central executive does not exist
Abstract
In this article I critically review the concept of the central executive. I argue that the experimental evidence for a central executive lacks rigor to the point where it is an unfalsifiable construct. I examine the neuropsychological and neuroradiological evidence and demonstrate that there is no localization evidence for a central executive. What emerges instead is a pattern of extensive heterogeneity with different executive tasks associated with different neural substrates. In sum it is argued that the idea of a central executive should be abandoned, and, from a neuropsychological perspective, tests that purport to measure executive function should do so in a qualitative way rather than assume that a range of tests load on a unitary dimension of performance.
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Executive function is composed of distinct but inter-related components.
“it has been demonstrated that a modular unit is too simplistic and that this construct is composed of distinct but inter-related components”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Parkin, 1998
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Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers
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- Authors
- PARKIN, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Sussex (GB)
- Corresponding author
- PARKIN, ALAN J.
- Venue
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1998-09
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 518-522
- ISSN
- 1355-6177 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7661
- OpenAlex
- W2133536751
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- central executive, executive function, cognitive architecture, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, construct validity
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Central Nervous System, Humans, Mental Processes, Neuropsychology
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