What is: Executive Function? (Part 1)

Working Memory

If you have ever considered the possibility that you or a child you know may have a learning disability, there is a very good chance that you have heard the term “executive function.” Poor executive function is a common sign of ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalcula, bipolar disorder, and dementia. People going through periods of anxiety and depression also show a temporary reduction in their executive functioning ability.

I think that knowing what executive function is, and what poor executive functioning ability can look like, is very valuable information for parents and educators. Knowing about executive functioning can help them spot signs of a learning disability in a child.

I also think that knowing about executive function is valuable information for anyone who loves someone with depression or an anxiety disorder. It can help you understand the challenges your loved one faces, and also help you have more realistic expectations of them when they are struggling with their mental health.

So, the big question: what exactly is executive function?

Executive function is a collection of brain processes that could be called the brain’s “management team.” These skills are: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. These three things greatly affect how a person interacts with the world and goes about their day-to-day life.

Today, let’s take a look at the first one: working memory.

Working Memory

Working memory is the ability to retain small chunks of information and use it in real-time. Unlike our long-term memories, which are held onto for a long time, working memory is designed to hold information for a short time, and then discard it. Some everyday examples of working memory in action are:

• Remembering a piece of information that you read/were told long enough to write it down
• Asking for directions and remembering them long enough to get to your destination
• Remembering the name of someone you just met.
• Remembering the next couple steps of a recipe without consulting it constantly
• Remembering a grocery list or a series of errands to be run without writing it down

At school or work, working memory is required for a number of tasks, including:

• Taking notes during a lecture or meeting
• Thinking of a point you want to make in a discussion, and remembering it until it is your turn to speak
• Following multi-step instructions that aren’t written down
• Prioritizing a series of tasks, and completing them in order
• Doing mental math

Poor working memory can look like:

• Forgetting to do assignments or homework
• Doing assignments or homework, but forgetting to submit them on time
• Making “carless” mistakes
• Difficulty “building” on a skill they have recently learned (because that skill hasn’t made it into their long-term memory yet)
• Constantly losing tools for a task that were “just in my hand a second ago!”

Working memory affects how well a person can organize, prioritize, plan, and execute the steps in a plan. People who struggle with working memory are often accused of “zoning out,” or not paying attention. Parents, teachers, and managers may assume that someone struggling with working memory is forgetting important information because are acting immature, not taking things seriously, or being disrespectful. Unfortunately, the opposite is usually true. People with poor working memory are often very embarrassed by this lack of skill, and are working twice as hard to remember what needs to be remembered. They are usually the students/employees taking plenty of notes and constantly asking for clarification or reminders. Work and school can be very stressful for people with poor working memory.

If you live with a person who struggles with their mental health, you may notice that sometimes they forget things, make silly mistakes, or complain that they’re “losing their mind” because they can’t keep track of their to-do list anymore. This decrease in working memory could be a sign that they are struggling with their anxiety or depression more than usual.

Working memory is one of the three major skills that make up executive function. I hope you can already see how just this one part of executive function can really affect a person’s ability to function well in our North American classrooms and workplaces. Next week I’ll keep unpacking the impact of executive function (or disfunction) with the second major skill: cognitive flexibility.

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