Towards Clarity in Research on “Non-Cognitive” Skills: Linking Executive Functions, Self-Regulation, and Economic Development to Advance Life Outcomes for Children, Adolescents and Youth Globally

The purpose of this article is to clarify the relationship between Executive Functions (EF) training and giftedness. In this paper we provide a literature review of condemnatory literature. Executive Functions are a set of cognitive skills considered as necessary for the cognitive control of behavior and they are important for self- regulation and adaptation. The proper functioning of the executive functions is associated with high IQ. Moreover, executive function training can be achieved by brain training programs, that aim to improve basic brain functions. Through education, various tasks are improved. Techniques that improve cognitive skills can benefit individuals with superior mental abilities and can be used as intervention techniques to improve and develop giftedness. The training of executive functions can be achieved through brain training. Brain training is a scientific field that has highly progressed over the last years and has offered extremely interesting results that lead to new developments in the field of giftedness. After analyzing what brain training is, we refer to the executive functions that can improve through brain training. Afterwards, we refer to brain training programs, which have had positive effects on the training of executive functions. Resumen: El propósito de este artículo es aclarar la relaciόn entre la formaciόn de funciones ejecutivas y la superdotación. En este artículo proporcionamos una revisión de la literatura condenatoria. Las funciones ejecutivas son un conjunto de habilidades cognitivas consideradas necesarias para el control cognitivo de la conducta y son importantes para la autorregulación y adaptación. El buen funcionamiento de las funciones ejecutivas está asociado a un alto coeficiente intelectual. Además, el entrenamiento de la función ejecutiva se puede lograr con programas de entrenamiento cerebral, que tienen como objetivo mejorar las funciones cerebrales básicas. A través de la educación, se mejoran varias tareas. Las técnicas que mejoran las habilidades cognitivas pueden beneficiar a las personas con capacidades mentales superiores y pueden utilizarse como técnicas de intervención para mejorar y desarrollar la superdotación. El entrenamiento de las funciones ejecutivas se puede lograr mediante el entrenamiento del cerebro. El Brain Training es un campo científico que ha avanzado mucho en los últimos años y ha ofrecido resultados sumamente interesantes que conducen a nuevos desarrollos en el campo de la superdotación. Tras analizar qué es el entrenamiento cerebral, nos referimos a las funciones ejecutivas que pueden mejorar mediante el entrenamiento cerebral. Posteriormente, nos referimos a los programas de entrenamiento cerebral, que han tenido efectos positivos en el entrenamiento de las funciones ejecutivas.

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Executive Functions and Metacognitive Monitoring Are Not Interchangeable in Educational Settings: Their Shared and Unique Contribution to Academic Outcomes

10.31234/osf.io/4jhnz ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Rina PY Lai ◽

Michelle Renee Ellefson ◽

Claire Hughes

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Academic Outcomes ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Latent Variable ◽

Unique Contribution ◽

Metacognitive Monitoring ◽

Cognitive Predictors ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Variable Approach ◽

Latent Variable Approach

Executive functions and metacognition are two cognitive predictors with well-established connections to academic performance. Despite sharing several theoretical characteristics, their overlap or independence concerning multiple academic outcomes remain under-researched. To address this gap, the present study applies a latent-variable approach to test a novel theoretical model that delineates the structural link between executive functions, metacognition, and academic outcomes. In whole-class sessions, 469 children aged 9 to 14 years (M = 11.93; SD = 0.92) completed four computerized executive function tasks (inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning), a self-reported metacognitive monitoring questionnaire, and three standardized tests of academic ability. The results suggest that executive functions and metacognitive monitoring are not interchangeable in the educational context and that they have both shared and unique contributions to diverse academic outcomes. The findings are important for elucidating the role between two domain-general cognitive skills (executive functions and metacognition) and domain-specific academic skills.

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Inhibition tasks are not associated with self-regulation outcomes in healthy college students

10.31234/osf.io/uwbdg ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Curtis David Von Gunten ◽

Bruce D Bartholow ◽

Jorge S. Martins

Keyword(s):

Latent Variable ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Self Control ◽

Self Report ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Variable Level ◽

Cast Doubt ◽

The Individual

Executive functioning (EF) is defined as a set of top-down processes used in reasoning, forming goals, planning, concentrating, and inhibition. It is widely believed that these processes are critical to self-regulation and, therefore, that performance on behavioral task measures of EF should be associated with individual differences in everyday life outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to test this core assumption, focusing on the EF facet of inhibition. A sample of 463 undergraduates completed five laboratory inhibition tasks, along with three self-report measures of self-control and 28 self-report measures of life outcomes. Results showed that although most of the life outcome measures were associated with self-reported self-control, none of the life outcomes were associated with inhibition task performance at the latent-variable level, and few associations were found at the individual task level. These findings challenge the criterion validity of lab-based inhibition tasks. More generally, when considered alongside the known lack of convergent validity between inhibition tasks and self-report measures of self-control, the findings cast doubt on the task’s construct validity as measures of self-control processes. Potential methodological and theoretical reasons for the poor performance of laboratory-based inhibition tasks are discussed.

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Practicing Academic Independence: Self-Regulation Strategies for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Beyond Behavior ◽

10.1177/10742956211020666 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107429562110206

Author(s):

Michele L. Moohr ◽

Kinga Balint-Langel ◽

Jonté C. Taylor ◽

Karen L. Rizzo

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Disorders ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Disorders ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Strategy Instruction ◽

Strategy Development ◽

Academic Learning ◽

Self Monitoring ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

And Behavior

The term self-regulation (SR) refers to a set of specific cognitive skills necessary for students to independently manage, monitor, and assess their own academic learning and behavior. Students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often lack these skills. This article provides educators with step-by-step procedures and information on three research- or evidence-based SR strategies they can implement in their classrooms: self-regulated strategy development, self-monitoring, and strategy instruction.

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Executive Functions and Domain-Specific Cognitive Skills in Climbers

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11040449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 449

Author(s):

Florian Heilmann

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Neuropsychological Tests ◽

Specific Test ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Sport Climbing ◽

Novices And Experts ◽

General Physical

Athletes in a particular sport have specific cognitive skills acquired due to regular confrontation with sport-specific requirements. Studies show that the particular type of sport carried out and fostered by general physical activity impacts executive functions (EFs) such as inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. There are inconsistent results on the connections between domain-specific cognitive skills and executive functions. This study aimed to evaluate the relations between EFs and domain-specific cognitive skills in climbing. Due to that, we examined the executive functions (neuropsychological tests) and domain-specific cognitive skills (climbing-specific test: a preview of the route vs. climbed moves; climbed moves vs. recognition of moves) of 19 climbers (10 novices, 9 experts, grades 5 to 6a vs. 6c+ to 7b). The inter-subject effects analysis shows that novices and experts in sport climbing do not differ in executive functions in this particular case. Concerning domain-specific cognitive skills, there are differences between experts and novices. Experts show a significantly higher level in planning performance or route idea (p < 0.001) as well as in memorizing of climbed moves (p = 0.004). There are no relations between executive functions and domain-specific cognitive skills in climbers.

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Eye contact effect: The role of vagal regulation and reactivity, and self-regulation of attention

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-021-01682-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alicja Niedźwiecka

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Eye Contact ◽

Autonomic Regulation ◽

Face To Face ◽

Effective Strategies ◽

Contact Effect ◽

The Individual

AbstractEye contact is a crucial aspect of social interactions that may enhance an individual’s cognitive performance (i.e. the eye contact effect) or hinder it (i.e. face-to-face interference effect). In this paper, I focus on the influence of eye contact on cognitive performance in tasks engaging executive functions. I present a hypothesis as to why some individuals benefit from eye contact while others do not. I propose that the relations between eye contact and executive functioning are modulated by an individual’s autonomic regulation and reactivity and self-regulation of attention. In particular, I propose that individuals with more optimal autonomic regulation and reactivity, and more effective self-regulation of attention benefit from eye contact. Individuals who are less well regulated and over- or under-reactive and who do not employ effective strategies of self-regulation of attention may not benefit from eye contact and may perform better when eye contact is absent. I present some studies that justify the proposed hypothesis and point to a method that could be employed to test them. This approach could help to better understand the complex mechanisms underlying the individual differences in participant’s cognitive performance during tasks engaging executive functions.

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Relationships Between Cognitive and Driving Self-Awareness in Older Drivers

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa224 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Laurence Paire-Ficout ◽

Sylviane Lafont ◽

Marion Hay ◽

Amandine Coquillat ◽

Colette Fabrigoule ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Cognitive Ability ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Driving Ability ◽

Digit Symbol Substitution Test ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Subjective Data

Abstract Objectives Many older drivers incorrectly estimate their driving ability. The present study aimed to determine whether, and if so, to what extent unawareness of cognitive abilities affects self-awareness of driving ability. Methods Two successive studies were conducted. A cohort study investigated cognitive self-awareness and an experimental study examined driving self-awareness in older drivers. In each one, self-awareness was assessed by cross-analyzing objective (respectively Trail-Making Tests A & B and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and driving performance of on-road assessment) and subjective data (responses about everyday cognitive skills and driving ability). Older drivers were then classified as being over-, correct or underestimators. The three cognitive and driving self-awareness profiles were then cross-analyzed. Results In the cohort study, 1,190 drivers aged 70 years or older were included. The results showed that 42.7% of older drivers overestimated their cognitive ability, 42.2% estimated it correctly, and 15.1% underestimated it. The experimental study included 145 participants from the cohort. The results showed that 34% of participants overestimated, 45% correctly estimated, and 21 % underestimated their driving ability. There was a significant relationship between cognitive and driving self-awareness profiles (p=0,02). This overlap was more marked in overestimators. Discussion Significant overlap between cognitive and driving self-awareness provides useful and new knowledge about driving in the aging population. Misestimation of cognitive ability could hamper self-awareness of driving ability, and consequently self-regulation of driving. It is now crucial to develop measures that promote self-awareness of ability.

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Adolescent Language Therapy: Syntax and Semantics for Reasoning and Planning

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2021_persp-21-00017 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Jill K. Fahy ◽

David K. Browning

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Language Therapy ◽

High Stakes ◽

Clinical Model ◽

Adolescent Students ◽

Strategic Plans ◽

Complex Planning

Purpose Adolescent students face increased expectations to successfully navigate academic, social, and vocational transitions. As demands increase and support systems fade, adolescents with developmental language disorder and concomitant deficits in executive functions are particularly vulnerable to these high-stakes transitional moments. Limited language systems are not well suited for navigating the subtleties of social nuance, the abstraction of academic and vocational language, and the unfamiliarity of complex planning necessary for self-regulation. Conclusions This clinical focus article proposes a clinical model of language therapy for adolescents with developmental language disorder and concomitant deficits in executive functions. Therapy emphasizes eliciting the most complex syntactic and semantic skills available to the student as they work to formulate specific, reasoned, predictive, strategic plans. Therapy takes place in small group contexts where pairs of students collaborate to use their language and reasoning to solve unfamiliar, challenging, scientific-like problems.

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INTERCONNECTION OF METACOGNITION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDHOOD: CULTURAL-HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Moscow University Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.11621/vsp.2021.01.04 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 79-113

Author(s):

A.N. Veraksa ◽

N.E. Veraksa

Keyword(s):

Academic Success ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Behavioral Control ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Historical Context ◽

Social Aspect ◽

The Social ◽

The Relationship

The review is devoted to the relationship between executive functions and metacognition in the context of a cultural-historical perspective. On the basis of the research carried out over the past 15 years, the commonality and differences of these constructs are shown. Special attention is paid to the development of executive functions and metacognition, their connection with the academic success of children, the role of the social aspect in their formation. The importance of an adult in the directed formation of metacognition and self-regulation is shown, which confirms the provisions of the cultural-historical theory. Within the framework of the cultural-historical paradigm, several mechanisms for the development of executive functions are considered: imitation based on understanding; sign mediation; as well as communication in a social developmental situation. L.S. Vygotsky noted that higher mental functions arise on the basis of real interactions of people, are interiorized, turning into psychological functions. The review showed that one of the most common models of the structure of executive functions is a model that includes such components as “working memory”, “inhibitory control” and “cognitive flexibility”. Based on the analysis, it is possible to assert the influence of J. Piaget’s concept on the development of executive functions. A certain difficulty is caused by the explanation of emotional regulation in the context of metacognitive problems. At the same time, L.S. Vygotsky spoke about the unity of affect and intellect, which suggests the existence behavioral control and, in particular, of emotional processes at the level of metacognitive processes.

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Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide associations between DNA methylation at birth and childhood cognitive skills

10.1101/2020.12.18.423421 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Doretta Caramaschi ◽

Alexander Neumann ◽

Andres Cardenas ◽

Gwen Tindula ◽

Silvia Alemany ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Strong Predictor ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Later Life ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Cognitive Domains ◽

Wide Range

ABSTRACTCognitive skills are a strong predictor of a wide range of later life outcomes. Genetic and epigenetic associations across the genome explain some of the variation in general cognitive abilities in the general population and it is plausible that epigenetic associations might arise from prenatal environmental exposures and/or genetic variation early in life. We investigated the association between cord blood DNA methylation at birth and cognitive skills assessed in children from eight pregnancy cohorts (N=2196-3798) within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium across overall, verbal and non-verbal cognitive scores. The associations at single CpG sites were weak for all of the cognitive domains investigated. One region near DUSP22 on chromosome 6 was associated with non-verbal cognition in a model adjusted for maternal IQ. We conclude that there is little evidence to support the idea that cord blood DNA methylation at single CpGs can predict cognitive skills and further studies are needed to confirm regional differences.

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