Executive Functions and Classroom Learning and Production

1. Executive Functions and Classroom Learning and Production Presented by George McCloskey, Ph.D. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine gmccloskz@aol.com or georgemcc@pcom.edu

2. Brain/Mind Bulletin, 1988 • Mentally healthy persons maintain many illusory beliefs, including: • Overly positive view of themselves • Convenient “forgetting” of negative facts about themselves • Perceptions of having greater control over events than is actually the case • “Unrealistic” optimism about themselves • “Unrealistic” optimism about the future • “Abnormal” cheerfulness

3. Newberg’s Best Ways to Exercise Your Brain • Maintain Faith (Positive Belief System) • Dialogue with Others • Engage in Aerobic Exercise • Meditate • Yawn • Consciously Relax • Stay Intellectually Active • Smile

4. Key Concept Task Performance is directed by Executive Functions or an Executive Functions substitute. The neural networks used to perform a task depend on perceptions about how the task should be done.

5. Key Concept Most of what a teacher says to students is intended to activate specific areas of the students’ brains .

6. Key Concept The more specific the language used by a teacher, the more likely it is that students will be activating the necessary brain areas.

7. What Are Executive Functions? • “Despite the frequency with which it is mentioned in the neuropsychological literature, the concept of executive functions is one that still awaits a formal definition. Research efforts aimed at exploring the different aspects of this construct have often yielded contradictory evidence, resulting in a lack of clarity and even controversy regarding the true nature of executive abilities.” Jurado & Rosselli, 2007, page 213.

8. What Are Executive Functions? • Directive capacities of the mind • Multiple in nature, not a single capacity • Cue the use of other mental abilities • Direct and control perceptions, thoughts, actions, and to some degree emotions • Part of neural circuits that are routed through the frontal lobes

9. Executive Functions Are Not a Unitary Trait • Frequently referred to as “the CEO of the Brain” or the “Conductor of the Orchestra • These metaphors • hint at the nature of EFs, but are far too general for effective understanding of the concept • create the impression of a central control center or a singular control capacity

10. EF as the Conductor of the Brain’s Orchestra (i.e., EF as “g”) EF =Cognitive Ability

11. Executive Functions Are Not a Unitary Trait • The orchestra conductor analogy feeds into the “homunculus problem,” a paradox of infinite regress, or just a complex metaphysical maze. • For practical everyday problem-solving in a more concrete manner, it is better to use the concept of a system of interrelated “co-conductors” rather than posit a single conductor.

12. Executive Functions Are Not a Unitary Trait Appropriate Metaphors for Executive Functions: • A Team of Conductors and Co-Conductors of a Mental Ability Orchestra, or • The Coaching Staff of a Mental Ability Football Team

13. Domains of Functioning Directed by Executive Functions Action Action Executive control of modes of output including behavior in the external world and storage and retrieval of internal representations Cognition Executive control of thoughts and thought processing Cognition Perception Executive control of modes of perceptual input including external sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and internal (representational) stimuli Perception Emotion Executive control of moods, feelings, and the processing of emotions Emotion

14. Co-Conductors in a Holarchical Model of EF EF ef ef EF ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef Activation

15. EF ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef ef EF Tiers of Executive Function Self-Control and Executive Function Capacities within Tiers Trans-Self Integration Self-Generation Self-Realization Self-Awareness Other-Awareness Self-Analysis Self-Determination Goal setting Long-range Planning & Foresight ef Self-Regulation ef ef ef ef ef Perceive Focus Sustain Energize Initiate Inhibit Stop Interrupt Flexible Shift Modulate Monitor Correct Balance Gauge Anticipate Estimate Time Analyze Generate Associate Organize Prioritize Plan Evaluate/Compare Decide Sense Time Pace Sequence Execute Hold Manipulate Store Retrieve ef ef ef Activation Self-Activation

16. Est. Time Sense Time Pace V. Trans-self Integration Sense of source, Cosmic consciousness IV. Self Generation Mind-Body Integration, Sense of Spirit III. Self Control: Self Determination Self Realization Self Awareness Self Analysis Goal Generation Long-Term Foresight/Planning II. Self Control: Self Regulation Perceive Choose Modulate Organize Interrupt/Stop Execute Sequence Generate Hold Monitor Check Plan Focus Shift Manipulate Inhibit Associate Store Sustain Balance Anticipate Analyze Flexible Gauge Retrieve Correct Initiate Sensation/PerceptionCognitionEmotionAction I. Self Control: Self Activation Awaken, Attend

17. Key Concept Self-regulation Executive Functions cue and direct in different ways at different levels.

18. Self Activation • Initiation and “ramping up” of basic executive functions related to an awakened state of mind and to overcoming sleep inertia.

19. Self Regulation • A set of control capacities that cue and direct functioning across the domains of sensation/perception, emotion, cognition, and action • The current model posits 33 self-regulation executive functions

20. Perceive Focus Sustain Energize Initiate Inhibit Stop Interrupt Flexible Shift Modulate Balance Monitor Correct Gauge Anticipate Estimate Time Analyze Generate Associate Plan Organize Analyze Compare Choose 33 Self-Regulation EFs • Prioritize • Compare/Eval • Decide • Sense Time • Pace • Sequence • Execute • Hold • Manipulate • Store • Retrieve

21. Key Concept Self-regulation Executive Functions can be organized into 7 basic clusters.

22. SREF “Clusters” • The 33 self-regulation executive functions can be grouped based on “Clusters” in which several srefs are used in an integrative manner. • There are seven primary clusters to consider.

23. SREF “Clusters” • Attention • Engagement • Optimization • Efficiency • Memory • Inquiry • Solution

24. Attention Cluster • “What’s going on out there?” • Includes: Perceive, Focus/Select, Sustain

25. Engagement Cluster • “Get to it – or not” • Includes: [Attention Cluster], Energize, Initiate, Inhibit, Stop/Interrupt, Flexible, Shift, [Optimization Cluster]

26. Optimization Cluster • “How am I doing?” • Includes: [Attention Cluster], Monitor, Modulate, Balance, Correct

27. Efficiency Cluster • “The Smooth Operator.” • Includes: Sense Time, Pace, Sequence, Execute, [Optimization Cluster]

28. Memory Cluster • “You CAN get there from here.” • Includes: [Attention Cluster], Hold, Manipulate, Store, Retrieve, [Efficiency Cluster]

29. Inquiry Cluster • “Inquiring minds need to know.” • Includes: Anticipate, Gauge, Estimate Time, Analyze, [Memory Cluster], Evaluate/Compare, [Solution Cluster]

30. Solution Cluster • “I’m the Decider.” • Includes: Generate, Associate, Prioritize, Plan, Organize, [Memory Cluster], Choose/ Decide, [Optimization Cluster]

31. Self Realization • Directs cognitive processes that engage in self-awareness, self-reflection and self-analysis. • Cues cognitive processes to access accumulated information about self and apply it in specific situations to initiate, sustain, or alter behavior.

32. Self Determination • Foresight/Long-Term Planning and Goal Generation • Directs the use of cognitive processes to construct visions of the future and plans for action over longer periods of time. Directs reflection on the past for purposes of improving or altering behavior and thinking in the future.

33. Self Generation • Directs the posing of speculative questions related to the meaning and purpose of life and/or the ultimate source(s) of reality and physical existence, mind-body relationships, spirit, and soul; contemplates existence beyond the physical plane. • Directs the generation of a philosophy of life used to guide self-awareness, self-realization and the other levels of executive function processes; serves as a basis for an ultimate source of intentional behavior direction.

34. Trans-Self Integration • Directs the engagement of mental processes that enable realization and experiencing of a trans-self state of ultimate or unity consciousness. • In most spiritual traditions, this state is considered the highest achievement of human consciousness and therefore very different from the maladaptive states characteristic of clinical diagnoses of dissociative states.

35. Arenas of Involvement • Executive control also varies depending on the Arena of Involvement • The Four Arenas of Involvement are • Intrapersonal (Control in relation to the self) • Interpersonal (Control in relation to others) • Environment (Control in relation to the natural and man-made environment) • Symbol System (Control in relation to human made symbol and communication systems)

36. Executive Functions within Arenas of Involvement Intrapersonal Control of Self in Relation to Self Intrapersonal Interpersonal Interpersonal Control of Self in Relation to Others Environment Control of Self in Relation to Surroundings Symbol System Environment Symbol System Control of Self in Relation to Culturally Determined Modes of Communication including Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Communication Technologies

37. Key Concept Effective use of Executive Functions can vary by Arena of Involvement as well as by Domain of Functioning.

39. Executive Functions and Intelligence • The concept of executive functions is not synonymous with the traditional concepts of intelligence or “IQ” • Executive functions often are not directly assessed with standard intelligence tests

40. Measuring Executive Functions with a Reasoning Task Directions for the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST): I can’t tell you much about how to do this task. Which of these do you think this one goes with? I’ll tell you if your answer is right or wrong.

41. Executive Functions and School • The more classroom instruction resembles tests of executive functions like the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (figure out what we’re learning, I’ll tell you whether you are right or wrong), the more executive difficulties are going to impact classroom learning and performance.

42. Executive Functions and School • Test taking can be exceptionally difficult for a student with executive function difficulties if the test format emphasizes executive function demands over content knowledge.

43. Key Concept Executive Functions are developing form birth; maturational delays can cause difficulties.

44. Developmental Progression with a 30% Delay E F A G E E Q 6 8 10 15 21 30 60 90 Chronological Age

45. EF Development does not progress by continuous equal intervals

46. Executive Function Variability • Executive control is highly dissociable; it can vary greatly depending on the domain of functioning that is being directed: sensation/perception, emotion, cognition, or action. • Good executive control in one domain does not guarantee good executive control in the other domains; Poor control in one domain does not guarantee poor control in the other domains.

47. Executive Function Development • Self-regulation executive functions are developing from the first years of life on throughout a person’s entire lifetime. • Large developmental shifts are noticeable, especially around adolescence. • Because EFs are developmental in nature, natural maturational delays and lags are observed.

48. Executive Function Development • Intraindividually, all EFs do not develop evenly. For any given individual, one EF can be more or less developed than any other EF at any given point in time. • Interindividually, there is also great variation relative to chronological age. At the same age, different individuals will naturally vary considerably in their level of development of various EFs.

49. Executive Function Development and School • Cultural change points (e.g., educational transitions to Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st grade, junior h.s., senior h.s., college, graduate school, and workplace entry) can serve to highlight EF developmental delays or significant deficiencies.

50. Executive Functions Variability • Executive control is highly dissociable; it can vary greatly depending on the domain of functioning that is being directed: sensation/perception, emotion, cognition, or action. • Good executive control in one domain does not guarantee good executive control in the other domains; Poor control in one domain does not guarantee poor control in the other domains.