The Three Main Areas of Executive Functioning

Educator Matthew Eriksen possesses more than 15 years of experience in the field. He leverages this experience to lead Northbrook, IL, company 4XF, Inc., as president, CEO, and consultant. With Matthew Eriksen’s guidance, the IL-based company manufacturers and designs products that promote executive function skills in the academic realm.

Executive function skills depend on three brain functions: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. These three areas are briefly discussed below:

- Working memory. Responsible for retaining and manipulating information in the short term, the working memory retains information that is usually very distinct and may be used later. For instance, students use their working memory when they study for a test. The information will be retained and used to answer questions later.

- Cognitive flexibility. Also known as flexible thinking, this area of executive functioning allows people to think about the same thing in multiple ways. Cognitive flexibility is essential for helping people shift their responses to suit different demands.

- Inhibitory control. The ability to control impulses is what helps people resist temptation, ignore distractions, and set priorities. Inhibitory control also pertains to emotional responses and prevents people from acting impulsively.