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.

Cites (184)

1. Thought and language
   Vygotsky, L. S. · 1964 · Bulletin of the Orton Society
2. Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions
   Stroop, J. R. · 1935 · Journal of Experimental Psychology
3. The origins of intelligence in children.
   Piaget, Jean · 1952
4. Human Problem Solving.
   Axten, Nick, Newell, Allen, Simon, Herbert A. · 1973 · Contemporary Sociology
5. Human Problem Solving
   Allen Newell · 1972
6. Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: An integrative review.
   MacLeod, Colin M. · 1991 · Psychological Bulletin
7. How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process
   Bugg, Eugene G., Dewey, John · 1934 · The American Journal of Psychology
8. The co-ordination and regulation of movements
   1969 · Brain Research
9. The Cognitive neurosciences
   2005 · Choice Reviews Online
10. Plans and the structure of behavior.
    Miller, George A., Galanter, Eugene, Pribram, Karl H. · 1960

Show all 184 references

Cited by (62)

1. Meta-Analysis of Theory-of-Mind Development: The Truth about False Belief
   Wellman, Henry M, Cross, David, Watson, Julanne · 2001 · Child Development
2. Individual Differences in Inhibitory Control and Children's Theory of Mind
   Carlson, Stephanie M, Moses, Louis J · 2001 · Child Development
3. Executive Function and the Frontal Lobes: A Meta-Analytic Review
   Alvarez, Julie A., Emory, Eugene · 2006 · Neuropsychology Review
4. The elusive nature of executive functions: a review of our current understanding.
   Jurado, María Beatriz, Rosselli, Mónica · 2007 · Neuropsychology Review
5. Developmentally Sensitive Measures of Executive Function in Preschool Children
   Carlson, Stephanie M. · 2005 · Developmental Neuropsychology

See all 757