Week 8: Executive functioning

metacognition

“thinking about thinking”

conation

the mental faculty of purpose, desire, or will to perform an action (volition)

memory

ability to retain info for use at a later time

types of memory

• sensory

• working/short term

• long term

  • declarative (explicit)

    • episodic

    • semantic

  • procedural (implicit)

sensory memory

• brief memory that allows people to retain impressions of sensory info after the original stimulus has ceased

  • first stage of memory that involves registering a tremendous amount of info about the environment, but only for a brief period

working memory

• part of short-term memory that is concerned with immediate conscious perceptual and linguistic processing

ex) steps in a recipe, phone numbers

declarative memory

facts and events that can be consciously recalled or “declare”

episodic memory

recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences

semantic memory

• portion of long-term memory that processes ideas and concepts that are not drawn from person experience

• common knowledge (name and colors)

• sounds of letters

  • capitals of countries

procedural memory

remembering how to do things (riding a bike)

executive functioning (EF)

• higher-order cognitive processes that include the ability to plan, execute, and modify action in response to environmental demands and assess the results of action

  • cognitive flexibility, working memory, self control

EF is associated with what brain area?

prefrontal cortex (develops around age ~25)

signs of EF deficits

• poor planning/organization

• trouble starting/completing tasks

• difficulty problem solving

Cool EF

• used when decisions do not include a personal reward or emotional component (little to no stress/pressure)

• logical, analytical

• no emotion/stress

• ex) remembering a series of digits or words

hot EF

• emotional, social decision-making seen during daily decision making in the context of family, friends, and social situations

• influenced by motivation/pressure

cool vs hot EF

• cool: knows drinking and driving is bad

• hot: peer pressure can change the decision making (explains why some teens choose to drink and drive even though they know it is a bad idea)

how are cognitive skills assessed

• occupational profile (interview)

• observation of tasks (familiar and novel)

key cognitive areas to observe

• selective attention and inhibition

• planning

• initiation and completion

• memory

• problem solving

• sequencing

• self monitoring and self correction

key intervention principles

• practice ahead of real situations

• “just right” challenge

• reduce task demands

tx strategies: environmental and task adaptation

• simplificaiton

• external organization

• memory aids

• social supports

examples of compensatory strategies

• simplify tasks

• labels, lists

• alarms, planners

• social supports

Goal Management training steps

1. stop

2. define: what is the task/goal

3. learn (do i know the steps, do i need to go back)

4. check - am i doing what i planned

Cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP)

1. organizing (goal)

2. planning the task (plan)

3. enacting the plan (Do)

4. self monitoring performance and assessing the effectiveness of the plan in meeting the desired goal (check)

CO-OP focuses on what?

• self regulation

• planning

• performance analysis

what does metacognition include?

• awareness of what you know/dont know

• using strategies (notes, reading cues, etc)

EF includes what 3 core skills

• working memory

• cognitive flexibility

  • self-control

why observe familiar vs novel task?

see how person performs with known vs new challenges

main goal of EF interventions

improve problem-solving and self-regulation