Advantages and Limitations of a Systemic and Ecological Assessment of Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents

Executive functions (EFs) are high-level functions of human cognition and have been studied since the early 20th century. The evolution of theoretical models of EFs highlights the importance of taking into account all systemic influences, whether biological, environmental, or individual, when assessing these functions, particularly in children. This indicates the necessity to propose an integrative perspective for evaluating EFs. To do so, we drew on Bronfenbrenner's ecosystemic model to underline the importance of an ecological assessment. This article reviews the arguments in favor of the ecological assessment of EFs and acknowledged their limitations. The arguments came from (a) the biological level-recognizing that cerebral architecture, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which underlies EFs and its development with age encourages us to reconsider inter-individual differences, and (b) the environmental level-considering the influence of the family, educational, or even cultural system enables us to contextualize and take a step back from performance. The relationship between cold and hot executive functions was also considered. The development of ecological assessment tools, closer to the strategies and processes spontaneously implemented in everyday life, may lead to a more appropriate assessment of executive functioning, and thus to increasingly tailored support.