Executive Functioning

Denielle Rose and Johnny Spangler

What is Executive Functioning

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Executive functioning refers to the cognitive structures:

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• Inhibitory control
• Working memory
• Cognitive flexibility

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Inhibitory Control

• Response inhibition: The ability to stop oneself from doing something that is automatic or impulsive.
• For example, resisting the temptation to eat your daughter's halloween candy, or stopping yourself from saying something mean to someone when you are angry.

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• Interference control: The ability to resist distractions and focus on the task at hand.
• For example, being able to focus on your work even if there are people talking in the next room, or being able to stay focused on the road while driving even if there is a billboard that catches your eye.

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• Cognitive inhibition: The ability to suppress irrelevant thoughts and information.
• For example, being able to focus on the speaker at a meeting even if you are thinking about what you are going to make for dinner, or being able to solve a math problem even if you are also thinking about what you are going to do on the weekend.

Working Memory

• Verbal working memory: The ability to hold and manipulate verbal information, such as words and numbers.
• For example, being able to remember a phone number while you are dialing it, or being able to hold a set of instructions in mind while you are following them.

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• Visuospatial working memory: The ability to hold and manipulate visual and spatial information, such as images and maps.
• For example, being able to remember the layout of a room so that you can find your way around, or being able to hold a mental image of a puzzle piece while you are trying to figure out where it fits.

Cognitive Flexibility

• Set-shifting: The ability to switch between different mental sets, or ways of thinking, in order to solve a problem.
• For example, being able to switch from thinking about a problem in a concrete way to thinking about it in an abstract way.

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• Task-switching: The ability to switch between different tasks quickly and efficiently.
• For example, being able to switch from working on a math problem to writing an essay.

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• Attention shifting: The ability to shift attention between different stimuli or tasks.
• For example, being able to shift attention from the speaker to the whiteboard in a classroom, or being able to shift attention from the road to the dashboard of your car.

Factors that Impact Executive Functioning

• Neurodivergence (ADHD, Autism)
• Long COVID/medical conditions
• Lack of sleep
• Cognitive fatigue
• Sensory over/under stimulation
• Diet
• Stress/mental health
• Substances/medications
• Social isolation
• Trauma
• Poverty
• Discrimination

What impairment can look like:

• Overthinking or over analyzing problems
• Challenges planning or organizing
• Unable to start a project, even when high-priority
• Overlooking details
• Unable to prioritize and manage tasks
• Unable to maintain focus and easily distracted
• Poor time management
• Time blindness (unaware of ticking time)
• Rapid mood and emotional changes
• Difficulty making decisions
• Unable to listen actively
• Jumping from one task to another

• Losing train of thoughts
• Lack of focus
• Lack of clarity (brain fog)
• Avoiding tasks
• Frequently losing items
• Forgetfulness
• Easily distracted
• Fidgeting
• Excessive talking
• Interrupting
• Impatience
• Need to be constantly moving
• Indecisiveness

The Privilege of Diagnosis and Disclosure

• Many people do not have access to affordable healthcare, or they face discrimination that prohibits them from getting a diagnosis.
• There are significant inequities between genders �and in racialized populations�
• There are many factors that may prohibit someone from disclosing their disability, such as safety concerns, fear of exclusion from peers, and the fear of being dismissed by their professors.

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