Executive control training from middle childhood to adolescence

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Executive functions (EFs) are crucial higher-order cognitive abilities supporting goal-directed behavior and adaptation.
• EFs, including working memory and inhibition, develop significantly through childhood and adolescence, supported by the prefrontal cortex.
• EFs predict life outcomes, driving interest in targeted training interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the developmental literature on process-based cognitive interventions for executive functions.
• To discuss the concept, development, and neural basis of EFs.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of EF training in children and adolescents and explore potential applications.

Main Methods:

• Selective review of developmental literature on executive function training.
• Analysis of studies on cognitive interventions in typically developing children and adolescents.
• Discussion of individual differences in training gains and transferability.

Main Results:

• Existing executive function training interventions yield inconsistent results with limited transferability to untrained tasks.
• Individual differences significantly impact training-related performance gains.
• Tailoring interventions to specific age groups and populations may enhance effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Further research is needed to understand how to support the transfer of training-induced improvements in executive functions.
• Optimizing cognitive training requires considering individual differences and tailoring interventions for specific populations.
• Process-based executive control training holds potential for clinical and educational contexts if transferability issues are addressed.