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Measuring Executive Functions in Childhood: Problems and Solutions?
Author(s) -
Hughes Claire,
Graham Andrew
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
child and adolescent mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1475-3588
pISSN - 1475-357X
DOI - 10.1111/1475-3588.00024
Subject(s) - normative , executive functions , psychology , task (project management) , cognitive psychology , function (biology) , developmental psychology , cognition , political science , neuroscience , management , biology , evolutionary biology , law , economics
In this review we outline some of the current issues surrounding the measurement of executive function (EF) in children. Beginning with the theoretical background to the concept of EF we then review the difficulties in measuring EF in adult populations, and argue that these difficulties may, at least in part, be overcome when working with children, so that developmental studies of EF may provide special insights into the organisation of EF. Next, we review three research areas that have attracted considerable interest in childhood EF: (i) developmental disorders; (ii) new methodologies for investigating the normative development of EF (including three task batteries – CANTAB, TEA‐Ch and MARS); and (iii) the relationship between Theory of Mind (ToM) and EF. Finally, we consider what progress has been made so far in the fractionation of EF into component processes, and what remains to be done to achieve this important goal.