A hierarchical biased-competition model of domain-dependent working memory maintenance and executive control

Abstract The main objective of this study was to examine whether children’s ability to justify their action predictions in terms of mental states is related, in a similar way as the ability to predict actions, to such aspects of executive function (EF) as executive control and working memory. An additional objective was to check whether the frequency of different types of justifications made by children in false-belief tasks is associated with aforementioned aspects of EF, as well as language. The study included 59 children aged 3-4 years. The ability to predict actions and to justify these predictions was measured with false-belief tasks. Luria’s hand-game was used to assess executive control, and the Counting and Labelling dual-task was used to assess working memory capacity. Language development was controlled using an embedded syntax test. It was found that executive control was a significant predictor of the children’s ability to justify their action predictions in terms of mental states, even when age and language were taken into account. Results also indicated a relationship between the type of justification in the false-belief task and language development. With the development of language children gradually cease to justify their action predictions in terms of current location, and they tend to construct irrelevant justifications before they begin to refer to beliefs. Data suggest that executive control, in contrast to language, is a factor which affects the development of the children’s ability to justify their action predictions only in its later phase, during a shift from irrelevant to correct justifications.

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Working memory and executive control

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.1996.0123 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 351 (1346) ◽

pp. 1397-1404 ◽

Cited By ~ 278

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Executive Control ◽

Cognitive Model ◽

Central Executive ◽

Executive Processes ◽

Concurrent Tasks ◽

Dual Task Performance ◽

Suitable Framework ◽

Frontal Lesions

A major problem in analysing the executive processes that seem to depend upon the prefrontal cortex stems from the absence of a well developed cognitive model of such processes. It is suggested that the central executive component of an earlier model of working memory might provide a suitable framework for such an analysis. The approach is illustrated using one proposed component of executive control, namely the capacity to combine two concurrent tasks. The application of the approach to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and patients with acquired brain damage is discussed. Finally, a study is described in which the dual task performance of patients with known frontal lesions is shown to be associated with observed behavioural problems. The paper concludes with the discussion of the prospects for extending the approach to include a range of other executive processes, and to the way in which such an analysis may subsequently lead to a more integrated model of the central executive, and a better understanding of its relationship to the prefrontal cortex.

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Neurocognitive Constructs Underlying Executive Control in Statistically-Determined Mild Cognitive Impairment

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201125 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 82 (1) ◽

pp. 5-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sheina Emrani ◽

Melissa Lamar ◽

Catherine Price ◽

Satya Baliga ◽

Victor Wasserman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Executive Control ◽

Serial Order ◽

Temporal Organization ◽

Executive Attention ◽

Span Test ◽

Preparatory Set

Background: The model of executive attention proposes that temporal organization, i.e., the time necessary to bring novel tasks to fruition is an important construct that modulates executive control. Subordinate to temporal organization are the constructs of working memory, preparatory set, and inhibitory control. Objective: The current research operationally-defined the constructs underlying the theory of executive attention using intra-component latencies (i.e., reaction times) from a 5-span backward digit test from patients with suspected mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: An iPad-version of the Backward Digit Span Test (BDT) was administered to memory clinic patients. Patients with (n = 22) and without (n = 36) MCI were classified. Outcome variables included intra-component latencies for all correct 5-span serial order responses. Results: Average total time did not differ. A significant 2-group by 5-serial order latency interaction revealed the existence of distinct time epochs. Non-MCI patients produced slower latencies on initial (position 2-working memory/preparatory set) and latter (position 4-inhibitory control) correct serial order responses. By contrast, patients with MCI produced a slower latency for middle serial order responses (i.e., position 3-preparatory set). No group differences were obtained for incorrect 5-span test trials. Conclusion: The analysis of 5-span BDT serial order latencies found distinct epochs regarding how time was allocated in the context of successful test performance. Intra-component latencies obtained from tests assessing mental re-ordering may constitute useful neurocognitive biomarkers for emergent neurodegenerative illness.

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For Whom the Mind Wanders, and When, Varies Across Laboratory and Daily-Life Settings

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797617706086 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (9) ◽

pp. 1271-1289 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Michael J. Kane ◽

Georgina M. Gross ◽

Charlotte A. Chun ◽

Bridget A. Smeekens ◽

Matt E. Meier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Control ◽

Life Experience ◽

Daily Life ◽

Working Memory Capacity ◽

Memory Capacity ◽

Mind Wandering ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Laboratory Findings ◽

The Mind

Undergraduates ( N = 274) participated in a weeklong daily-life experience-sampling study of mind wandering after being assessed in the lab for executive-control abilities (working memory capacity; attention-restraint ability; attention-constraint ability; and propensity for task-unrelated thoughts, or TUTs) and personality traits. Eight times a day, electronic devices prompted subjects to report on their current thoughts and context. Working memory capacity and attention abilities predicted subjects’ TUT rates in the lab, but predicted the frequency of daily-life mind wandering only as a function of subjects’ momentary attempts to concentrate. This pattern replicates prior daily-life findings but conflicts with laboratory findings. Results for personality factors also revealed different associations in the lab and daily life: Only neuroticism predicted TUT rate in the lab, but only openness predicted mind-wandering rate in daily life (both predicted the content of daily-life mind wandering). Cognitive and personality factors also predicted dimensions of everyday thought other than mind wandering, such as subjective judgments of controllability of thought. Mind wandering in people’s daily environments and TUTs during controlled and artificial laboratory tasks have different correlates (and perhaps causes). Thus, mind-wandering theories based solely on lab phenomena may be incomplete.

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Associations between different components of executive control in childhood and sleep problems in early adolescence: A longitudinal study

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105318801065 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (13-14) ◽

pp. 2440-2452 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cara C Tomaso ◽

Jennifer Mize Nelson ◽

Kimberly Andrews Espy ◽

Timothy D Nelson

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Early Adolescence ◽

Executive Control ◽

Daytime Sleepiness ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Interference Suppression ◽

Self Report ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

The Impact

Research has examined the impact of poor sleep on executive control and related abilities, but the inverse relationship has received less attention. Youth completed objective executive control tasks in childhood ( N = 208; Mage = 10.03; 50.5% girls) and self-report measures of sleep–wake problems and daytime sleepiness in early adolescence ( Mage = 12.00). Poorer interference suppression and flexible shifting abilities both predicted sleep–wake problems, but response inhibition and working memory did not. For daytime sleepiness, interference suppression was the only significant predictor among executive control components. Socioeconomic status did not moderate any of these associations. Findings have implications for targeting specific executive control abilities in childhood to improve sleep outcomes later in development.

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Multicomponent Working Memory System with Distributed Executive Control

Working Memory ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198842286.003.0006 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 150-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

André Vandierendonck

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Control ◽

Memory System ◽

General Information ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Term Memory ◽

Episodic Buffer ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Current Task

The working memory model with distributed executive control accounts for the interactions between working memory and multi-tasking performance. The working memory system supports planned actions by relying on two capacity-limited domain-general and two time-limited domain-specific modules. Domain-general modules are the episodic buffer and the executive module. The episodic buffer stores multimodal representations and uses attentional refreshment to counteract information loss and to consolidate information in episodic long-term memory. The executive module maintains domain-general information relevant for the current task. The phonological buffer and the visuospatial module are domain specific; the former uses inner speech to maintain and to rehearse phonological information, whereas the latter holds visual and spatial representations active by means of image revival. For its operation, working memory interacts with declarative and procedural long-term memory, gets input from sensory registers, and uses the motor system for output.

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Is association of preterm birth with cognitive-neurophysiological impairments and ADHD symptoms consistent with a causal inference or due to familial confounds?

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291719001211 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (8) ◽

pp. 1278-1284

Author(s):

Sarah-Naomi James ◽

Anna-Sophie Rommel ◽

Fruhling Rijsdijk ◽

Giorgia Michelini ◽

Gráinne McLoughlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Working Memory ◽

Preterm Birth ◽

Causal Inference ◽

Executive Control ◽

Error Processing ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Family Level ◽

Per Se ◽

Preterm Born

AbstractBackgroundPreterm birth is associated with an increased risk for cognitive-neurophysiological impairments and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Whether the associations are due to the preterm birth insult per se, or due to other risk factors that characterise families with preterm-born children, is largely unknown.MethodsWe employed a within-sibling comparison design, using cognitive-performance and event-related potential (ERP) measures from 104 preterm-born adolescents and 104 of their term-born siblings. Analyses focused on ADHD symptoms and cognitive and ERP measures from a cued continuous performance test, an arrow flanker task and a reaction time task.ResultsWithin-sibling analyses showed that preterm birth was significantly associated with increased ADHD symptoms (β = 0.32, p = 0.01, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.58) and specific cognitive-ERP impairments, such as IQ (β = −0.20, p = 0.02, 95% CI −0.40 to −0.01), preparation-vigilance measures and measures of error processing (ranging from β = 0.71, −0.35). There was a negligible within-sibling association between preterm birth with executive control measures of inhibition (NoGo-P3, β = −0.07, p = 0.45, 95% CI −0.33 to 0.15) or verbal working memory (digit span backward, β = −0.05, p = 0.63, 95% CI −0.30 to 0.18).ConclusionsOur results suggest that the relationship between preterm birth with ADHD symptoms and specific cognitive-neurophysiological impairments (IQ, preparation-vigilance and error processing) is independent of family-level risk and consistent with a causal inference. In contrast, our results suggest that previously observed associations between preterm birth with executive control processes of inhibition and working memory are instead linked to background characteristics of families with a preterm-born child rather than preterm birth insult per se. These findings suggest that interventions need to target both preterm-birth specific and family-level risk factors.

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