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Psychology vocabulary · Cognition and Perception

Executive function

Meaning in psychology, with examples

nounCommon term

In psychology, executive function means: A set of higher mental skills, such as planning, holding back impulses, switching between tasks and updating working memory, that let us control and organise behaviour towards goals.

In Turkish: yürütücü işlev, yürütücü işlevler

How it is used

Often used in the plural (executive functions) and linked to the prefrontal cortex. Neuropsychologists assess it after brain injury and in ADHD; common tests include the Stroop task and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.

Example sentences

  1. After the head injury, his executive function was impaired and he struggled to plan simple tasks.

  2. The Stroop task is a classic measure of executive functions such as inhibition.

Common collocations

  • executive function deficits
  • executive functioning
  • measure executive function
  • impaired executive function
  • working memoryThe limited system that holds information for a few seconds and works with it while we use it, for example keeping a phone number in mind while dialling.
  • attentionThe ability to focus mental resources on some information while ignoring the rest, for example following one conversation in a noisy room.
  • ADHDShort for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a neurodevelopmental condition with persistent inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that affect daily life.
  • cognitionThe mental processes we use to gain and use knowledge, such as thinking, remembering, paying attention, understanding language and solving problems.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Cognition and Perception

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.