Your working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-regulation are core components of executive function (EF), an interrelated set of mental skills that lay the foundation for advanced cognitive ...

Executive function describes a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals. The “executive functions,” as they’re known, ...

Executive function is the mechanism by which our brains manage and prioritize our thoughts, working memory, emotions and actions; Harvard researchers call it our brain’s air traffic control system.

Vulnerability causes people to do some interesting things. For preteens, it often manifests into cutthroat judgment and meanness as defense mechanisms. If you look stupid, then I won’t. Couple that ...

Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas. When she is not writing, she can be found spending time with her family, or at her local boxing gym. Even if you’ve never heard the term ...

Principal Ian Knox’s thoughtful opinion essay, “Kindergartners Are Struggling With Self-Regulation. How Principals Can Respond ” (July 8, 2025), centers on steps school leaders can take to respond ...

Researchers from Harvard’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology found that educated children perform better on psychological tests measuring executive function abilities, challenging the accuracy ...

Speaking more than one language may benefit children’s executive function — especially those with autism spectrum disorder, a recent analysis suggests. The study, published in Autism Research, looked ...