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Executive Functions

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

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Synonyms

Cognitive control; Executive control

Definition

Executive functions are higher-level cognitive control functions supporting the flexible adaptation to changing environmental demands. They include abilities such as updating, shifting, and inhibition, which are subject to significant age-related changes. These age differences are associated with age-related changes in the neural substrate supporting executive processes. However, the brain is plastic up to very old age, and executive functions can be improved by intensive cognitive and physical training in adulthood.

The Concept of Executive Functions

Executive control is an umbrella term for a broad set of higher-order cognitive processes supporting the flexible regulation of thoughts and actions in the service of adaptive, goal-directed behavior. Executive control is especially required in novel, ambiguous, or complex situations, when there are no well-learned routines for action selection (Baddeley 2000; Jurado and Rosselli 2007...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Kerstin Unger

  2. Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

    Julia Karbach

Authors
  1. Kerstin Unger
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  2. Julia Karbach
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerstin Unger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

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© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Unger, K., Karbach, J. (2017). Executive Functions. In: Pachana, N.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_223

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