Improving Executive Functions

改善执行功能

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06630
• 负责人: DIAMOND, ADELE
• 金额: $ 3.42万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=714366
• 关键词: Improving; Executive; Functions

Executive Functions (EFs), which enable us to resist temptations or automatic impulsive reactions, stay focused, mentally play with ideas, reason, problem-solve, flexibly adjust to changed demands or priorities, and see things from new and different perspectives, are crucial for all life's aspects. My lab is pushing the frontiers of how to improve EFs. This work, we predict, will result in fundamentally changing the approach and underlying assumptions (shift the entire paradigm) of how to improve EFs and cognitive skills generally. Researchers have focused on training EFs (or improving aerobic fitness to improve EFs) ignoring powerful emotional and social factors that affect EFs. We will systematically test predictions that derive from a novel theory I have proposed that offers a markedly different perspective in hypothesizing that activities will best improve EFs if they not only train and challenge EFs directly but also indirectly support EFs by lessening things that impair EFs and enhancing things that support EFs. The different parts of a person are fundamentally interrelated. Focusing exclusively on training cognitive skills is, I hypothesize, less efficient and ultimately less successful than also addressing emotional and social needs. For example, many studies have looked at improving EFs via computerized cognitive training. The results have generally been disappointing. Why? We and others propose that is because training skills in isolation produces fairly rote learning of specific task strategies and response patterns. People learn something at a deeper level when they need that deeper level understanding for a real world use they care about. What is needed is to engage participants in activities they care deeply about where improving EFs is needed for what they want to do, where mentors and experiences in that activity inspire and instill pride and self-confidence. Though those who are more aerobically fit tend to have better EFs, aerobic interventions rarely produce better EFs than the control group. I propose it is not about improving aerobic capacity or motor skills per se. If an activity does not demand and challenge EFs, they will not improve. Moreover, if EFs are only demanded for an arbitrary, de-contextualized use (e.g., learning a skill from a sport, but never playing the sport) the data show some EF improvement, but that alone gets one only so far; engaging in the real-world activity seems critical. If a program also brings joy, builds self-confidence, and provides a sense of belonging and community, EFs should improve more. If a program ignores emotional or social needs, those unmet needs will work against any EF improvement. Our work has the exciting potential to advance scientific understanding by getting researchers to think in new ways about how to improve cognitive skills. Focusing narrowly on training cognition may not be the best way to improve cognition.

执行功能(EFS)使我们能够抵抗诱惑或自动冲动反应，保持专注，在精神上玩弄想法，推理，解决问题，灵活地适应变化的要求或优先事项，并从新的和不同的角度看待事物，对生活的方方面面都至关重要。 我的实验室正在推进如何改善EFS的前沿。我们预测，这项工作将从根本上改变如何提高EFS和认知技能的方法和潜在假设(改变整个范式)。 研究人员一直专注于训练EFS(或改善有氧适应以提高EFS)，而忽视了影响EFS的强大情感和社会因素。我们将系统地测试源自我提出的一个新理论的预测，该理论提供了一个明显不同的视角，假设活动将最好地改善EFS，如果它们不仅直接培训和挑战EFS，而且通过减少损害EFS的事情和加强支持EFS的事情间接支持EFS。人的不同部分从根本上是相互关联的。我猜想，只专注于训练认知技能比同时满足情感和社交需求效率更低，最终也不会那么成功。 例如，许多研究着眼于通过计算机化的认知训练来改善EFS。结果总体上令人失望。为什么？我们和其他人提出，这是因为孤立地训练技能会相当死记硬背地学习特定的任务策略和反应模式。当人们需要对他们所关心的现实世界的更深层次的理解时，他们就会在更深的层次上学到一些东西。需要的是让参与者参与他们深切关心的活动，这些活动需要改善EFS来实现他们想要做的事情，在这些活动中，导师和经验会激发和灌输自豪感和自信。 尽管那些更适合有氧运动的人往往有更好的EFS，但有氧干预很少能产生比对照组更好的EFS。我认为这不是为了提高有氧能力或运动技能本身。如果一项活动不要求和挑战EFS，它们就不会得到改善。此外，如果EFS只被要求用于任意的、非情境化的使用(例如，从一项运动中学习一项技能，但从未参加过这项运动)，数据显示Ef有所改善，但仅此一项就只能得到有限的改善；参与现实世界的活动似乎至关重要。如果一个节目也带来了喜悦，建立了自信，提供了归属感和社区感，EFS应该会改进得更多。如果一项计划忽视了情感或社交需求，这些未得到满足的需求将不利于EF的任何改善。 通过让研究人员以新的方式思考如何提高认知技能，我们的工作具有促进科学理解的令人兴奋的潜力。狭隘地专注于训练认知可能不是提高认知的最好方法。