Effortful Control is associated with executive attention: a computational study

Understanding temperament is central to our understanding of development, and temperament constructs are linked to individual differences in both personality and underlying neural function. In this article, I review findings on the structure of temperament, its relation to the Big Five traits of personality, and its links to development and psychopathology. In addition, I discuss the relation of temperament to conscience, empathy, aggression, and the development of behavior problems, and describe the relation between effortful control and neural networks of executive attention. Finally, I present research on training executive attention.

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Common mechanisms of executive attention underlie executive function and effortful control in children

Developmental Science ◽

10.1111/desc.12918 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Jeggan Tiego ◽

Mark A. Bellgrove ◽

Sarah Whittle ◽

Christos Pantelis ◽

Renee Testa

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Effortful Control ◽

Executive Attention

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Executive Attention and Effortful Control: Linking Temperament, Brain Networks, and Genes

Child Development Perspectives ◽

10.1111/j.1750-8606.2007.00002.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 2-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 123

Author(s):

Mary K. Rothbart ◽

Brad E. Sheese ◽

Michael I. Posner

Keyword(s):

Effortful Control ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Executive Attention

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Temperament and brain networks of attention

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2017.0254 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 373 (1744) ◽

pp. 20170254 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Michael I. Posner ◽

Mary K. Rothbart

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Human Brain ◽

Control Systems ◽

Effortful Control ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Executive Attention ◽

Older Children ◽

Theme Issue ◽

Attention Networks ◽

Executive Attention Network

The attention networks of the human brain are important control systems that develop from infancy into adulthood. While they are common to everyone, they differ in efficiency, forming the basis of individual differences in attention. We have developed methods for measuring the efficiency of these networks in older children and adults and have also examined their development from infancy. During infancy the alerting and orienting networks are dominant in control of the infant's actions, but later an executive network dominates. Each network has been associated with its main neuromodulator and these have led to associations with genes related to that network neuromodulator. The links between parent reports of their child's effortful control and the executive attention network allow us to associate molecular mechanisms to fundamental behavioural outcomes. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences’.

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