1 Psychology and human development1.6 Thought and higher cortical functions
1.6.2 Executive functions
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Written by Resident Doctor Committee · Published
New in the 2027 syllabus
The College added this topic for exams from January 2027.
Basic control processes
Miyake's model splits executive control into three processes: inhibition, updating and shifting. They are separate, but performance on them is correlated.
Process | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
Inhibition | Holds back a strong, automatic response | Not reading the word when asked to name its ink colour |
Updating | Tracks and revises what is in working memory | Replacing an out-of-date running total |
Shifting | Moves between task rules or mental sets (ways of thinking) | Switching to a new sorting rule |
Complex behaviour
Planning and multitasking draw on several control processes plus memory and knowledge. So a difficult task is not a pure measure of one executive function.
Initiation is getting goal-directed activity started. Someone with poor initiation may know what they should do and still not do it, so everyday function suffers.
Judgement is using information and the likely consequences to make a decision. It is not a single, separate executive skill.
Assessment combines test performance with examples from everyday life. Fatigue, mood, language and the motor demands of a task can all change scores.