title: A multiperspective approach to the conceptualization of executive functions.
abstract: The concept of executive function (EF) is deemed unclear and difficult to operationalize. We use a multiperspective approach to quantify and reduce the current proliferation of EFs. A literature review of 60 studies identified 68 subcomponents of EF: Through objective statistical techniques, these terms were reduced to 18 by removing semantic overlap (using latent semantic analysis) and psychometric overlap (using hierarchical cluster analysis). However, still such a large number of functions lacks parsimony. We therefore revisit the concept of EF and suggest that the many proposed subcomponents are not functions per se but rather a number of task-specific behaviors.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Universite Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada. sonia.packwood.1@ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Packwood
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hodgetts
authors.forename: Sebastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tremblay
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012660:Semantics