Framing Executive Function as a Construct and its Relation to Academic Achievement

Abstract

The goal of this work is to provide a framework for understanding the relationship of executive function (EF) to reading and other academic achievement to promote future work in this area. After briefly reviewing extant theoretical and empirical support about what is known in this area, we then more deeply evaluate the construct of EF itself. This is necessary because EF means any number of things to any number of individuals, scientists included. Review of several pertinent conceptualizations of EF, including our own, reveals agreement that EF is domain general (although the meaning of domain generality is varied); additional commonalities include a focus on control/management and goal direction. However, there is less agreement on whether EF is singular or plural, or whether EF is one or more "thing(s)" versus process(es). These alternatives are discussed with a focus on the implications for understanding the role of EF for important functional outcomes.

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