Improving Executive Functions

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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.