An ER doctor and marriage and family therapist shares her experiences with the ebb and flow of executive function capacity.

Executive function describes a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals. The “executive functions,” as they’re known, ...

Executive function—top-down processes by which the human mind controls behavior, regulating thoughts and actions—have long been studied using a standard set of tools, with these assessments being ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover Mental Wellness for Adolescents and Adults. Executive functioning skills are your child’s mental control center, ...

Chances are you’ve recently heard or read about the importance of “executive function”—the set of higher-order mental skills that allow us to plan and organize, make considered decisions, manage our ...

Researchers from Harvard’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology found that educated children perform better on psychological tests measuring executive function abilities, challenging the accuracy ...

An educational approach focused on the development of children’s executive functions – the ability to avoid distractions, focus attention, hold relevant information in working memory, and regulate ...

Kumar is the head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and past president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Pliskin is director of ...

Researchers find that primary school children with reduced cognitive skills for planning and self-restraint are more likely to show increased aggression in middle childhood. The study examined the ...

Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas. When she is not writing, she can be found spending time with her family, or at her local boxing gym. Even if you’ve never heard the term ...

Maybe it’s not you getting in your own way, maybe it’s your brain’s wiring hitting the brakes. Imagine trying to finish a task but never getting around to it. For instance, you’ve been meaning to take ...

As people, we rely on our mental capabilities and cognitive skills to do things like regulate emotions and navigate our day-to-day lives. Planning and organization, completing tasks, time management, ...