Conclusions about Interventions, Programs, and Approaches for Improving Executive Functions that appear Justified and those that, despite much hype, do not

By A. Diamond, Daphne S. Ling. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2015

991 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The ‘Executive Functions’ (EFs) of inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility enable us to think before we act, resist temptations or habitual reactions, stay focused, mentally play with ideas, reason, problem-solve, flexibly adjust to changed demands or priorities, and see things from new and different perspectives. These skills are critical for success in all life’s aspects. They are sometimes more predictive than even IQ or socioeconomic status. Understandably, there is great interest in improving EFs. It’s now clear they can be improved at any age through training and practice, much as physical exercise hones physical fitness. It also appears though, despite claims to the contrary, that wide transfer does not seem to occur and aerobic exercise per se does little to improve EFs. Important questions remain including: Are benefits just ephemeral and superficial? How much can EFs be improved and how long can benefits be sustained? What are the best methods for improving EFs? What about an approach accounts for its success? Do the answers to any of these differ by individual characteristics such as age or gender? Since stress, sadness, loneliness, or poor health impair EFs, and the reverse enhances EFs, I predict that approaches that not only directly train EFs but also indirectly support EFs by addressing emotional, social, and physical needs will be the most successful at improving EFs.

Subfields: Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/4c3e9ee41f6b81cbc8060aade5ebfcd8fee9f125

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Citations in the corpus

Variability of practice as an interface between motor and cognitive development (2016, methodology): “Drawing from these research areas to develop tools in the service of education (Diamond & Ling, 2016; Pesce & Ben-Soussan, 2016), we consider it possible to develop instructional methods in educational PA and sport training that promote motor and cognitive development jointly and may therefore…”
When Am I Ever Going to Use This in the Real World? Cognitive Flexibility and Urban Adolescents’ Negotiation of the Value of Mathematics (2017, background): “Some researchers have already shown that executive functions do not exist purely as an internal maturational phenomenon; rather they can be externally supported by adults (Diamond & Ling, 2016).”
Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context1 (2019, background): “Effective interventions that foster self-regulation and executive functions can prepare children who have experienced poverty-related adversities to successfully engage in learning and better succeed in school (e.g., Blair & Raver, 2014; Center on the Developing Child, 2016; Diamond & Ling, 2016).”
Sport type determines differences in executive functions in elite athletes (2018, background): “Past research has demonstrated that exercise and fitness training promotes the development and maintenance of cognitive skills in humans (Carson et al., 2016; Chan, Wong, Liu, Yu, & Yan, 2011; Diamond & Ling, 2016; Etnier & Chang, 2009; Frederiksen et al., 2015; Marchetti et al., 2015).”