Executive Function
A set of cognitive processes that manage, control, and regulate other cognitive abilities: planning, working memory, attention, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Central to ADHD.
Executive functions are the brain's management system — they coordinate all other cognitive processes. Think of them as the CEO of your brain.
Key components: Working Memory (holding information while using it), Inhibition (stopping impulses), Cognitive Flexibility (switching between tasks), Planning (organizing steps toward a goal), and Emotional Regulation (managing emotional responses).
ADHD is primarily an executive function disorder — not an attention disorder. People with ADHD can pay attention (hyperfocus proves this); they struggle to regulate attention deliberately. Low Conscientiousness on the Big Five correlates with executive function difficulties.
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