Executive Functions

Executive Functions are located in the frontal lobe of the brain. They are a complex set of processes that regulate and manage activities such as planning, organizing, starting and staying on task, maintaining focus, controlling impulses, and being flexible with change. Our executive functions are the commanders of our brain. They guide and coordinate the information we take in so we can make choices and take action on our daily activities. They can be broken down into three branches: Working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Working memory filters all the information around us. It decides what is important to act on and passes it on to inhibitory control. Inhibitory control keeps us on course, helping us ignore all unwanted distractions so we can complete the task at hand. Finally, cognitive flexibility enables us to navigate obstacles on our path and find new ways to reach our end goal.

Working memory is comprised of the phonological loop, the visual sketchpad, and the episodic buffer. The phonological loop holds our auditory information. It has two parts: the phonological store (inner ear), responsible for storing new words heard for one to two seconds in a speech-based format, and the articulatory control process (inner voice), which understands the articulation of speech. It allows us to practice and store the verbal information from the phonological store. A common example is repeating a phone number in your mind to remember it while dialing it.  This is why working memory is often referred to as the sticky note of the brain. The audio-visual sketch pad is responsible for the processes involved in identifying, holding, and manipulating objects and their visual and spatial properties. It has two parts: the visual cache, which takes in the form, color, and other visual traits, and the inner scribe, which determines spatial location, movement representation, and planning. We use our visual sketch pad when we visualize where we parked our car or when we visualize a route we have to use to get to a certain place. The episodic buffer temporarily stores and incorporates knowledge from the phonological loop and the audio-visual sketch pad to create an episode of memory. 

Inhibitory Control is the part of executive functioning that is responsible for controlling our emotions, thoughts, feelings, and actions. It helps us pause and think before we do or act. It gives us time to use reasoning to respond accordingly to our environment. Inhibitory control can be broken down into two parts. Response inhibition and attentional inhibition. Response inhibition is suppressing an oral response that is inappropriate or has poor timing. Attentional inhibition is managing different information or distractions within our working memory.  It allows us to push aside irrelevant information that could derail the task at hand. A strong Inhibitory control is vital for successfully interacting with others and achieving our goals.

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to consider multiple perspectives, adapt to unexpected, new, or changing situations, and generate new solutions to problems. It is responsible for how we understand, have sympathy, and react to others' perspectives and intentions. Strong cognitive flexibility allows one to be more resilient to negative life events or stress. It supports the smooth transition from one activity to another. 

Executive functions are unique and different for each person. Understanding one's executive functions will bring meaning to how they interact with the world. They will provide a person with the necessary tools to scaffold their weaker executive functions and leverage their stronger executive functions. Having this awareness can be invaluable in understanding how one will relate to others in life.