16 — Executive Function

Flashcards covering key concepts from a lecture on executive function, inhibition, the marshmallow test, disorders of executive function, alcohol's effects, intelligence, working memory, and transfer of skills.

What brain region is heavily involved in executive function?

Frontal Lobes

Name three examples of what Frontal Lobes do?

Willed attention, Sequence planning/executing, Inhibition, Thought, judgment, emotional regulation, “Theory of Mind” (empathy)

What part of the brain is strongly involved with raw emotion?

Limbic system

What age do frontal lobes stop developing on average?

25 years old

What is the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test used for?

Assessing Executive Function

Name three ways to sort the cards in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

number, color, or shape

When are executive functions considered 'fully' developed?

Around 25 years old

What is the A-not-B error?

When an object is repeatedly hidden under location A, and then hidden under location B, the infant searches under A.

What does the Marshmallow Task measure?

Delaying Gratification

What is delaying gratification related to?

Executive Function (need to inhibit behavior now for better reward later)

Performance on the marshmallow test is positively correlated with what kinds of long-term developments?

Academic achievement and Socioemotional behavior

What population had high correlates on the Marshmallow test originally?

~90 children…all enrolled in a preschool at STANFORD UNIVERSITY

What has to be diversified when collecting research in new studies?

diverse backgrounds including those with mothers without college degrees

Name three disorders of executive function.

Major depression, Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, Dementia

What neurotransmitter is often disrupted in patients with disorders of executive functioning?

Dopamine

What effect does alcohol have as a neural transmitter?

Neural inhibitor

What neurotransmitter does alcohol mimic the effect of?

GABA

How does alcohol influence frontal lobe activity?

Reduces frontal cortex activity

How does alcohol influence emotion?

lowered inhibitions/emotional regulation

What part of the brain is affected by alcohol between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex?

the link between them

Name two qualities Gardner states relating to defining human intelligence

Linguistic, mathematical, interpersonal

What quality of intelligence does Spearman describe?

One factor tends to correlate with many types of intelligence – factor g

What part of the brain has links of genetic components to predicting academic performance?

prefrontal cortex

Lumosity and CogMed are examples of what?

“brain training” games

What is increased when brain training games are played?

Performance on similar tasks improved

If brain training games are played, what level of intelligence is not improved?

general fluid intelligence

Transfer of skills that are similar is known as what?

Near transfer

Transfer of skills that are not similar is known as what?

Far transfer

Name one thing required to have a good Far transfer.

Harder to find!

Engle's factor analysis of WM ability found a factor, gF, which correlated well with what?

many tasks (phonological as well as visuospatial tasks)