Executive functions in children: Introduction to the special series

The six articles in this series address different aspects of cognitive skills and behavioral functioning commonly described as executive functions. These functions actually represent several aspects of cognition, including the allocation of cognitive resources, planning, problem solving, response inhibition, self-monitoring and regulation, and the maintenance of mental sets. Executive functions are prominent components of the construct of working memory (Pennington, 1994). In developmental psychology, executive functions are typically subserved under the rubric of metacognition. In cognitive neuroscience, models of attention and memory make liberal use of constructs described in this special issue under executive functions. Historically, neuropsychology has viewed executive functions as virtually interchangeable with the functions of the frontal lobes.