Date of Completion
1-31-2012
Embargo Period
1-31-2012
Advisors
Marie Coppola; Heather Bortfeld
Field of Study
Psychology
Degree
Master of Arts
Open Access
Open Access
Abstract
Cognitive control is a central issue in developmental psychology. Traditional theories of psychology solve this problem by positing a top-down central executive, which coordinates cognitive resources in pursuit of goals. We propose an alternative explanation: cognitive control arises from physical interactions across many different timescales within the system. College and preschool aged participants were asked to complete a simple executive function task, card sorting. We found that multi-scale physical interactions differed depending on experimental constraints, and that executive function in these cases was driven primarily by flexibility in multi-scale interactions, rather than the dominance of one scale. This suggests that, rather than being the workings of a higher order central executive, cognitive control may be driven by physical interactions within the system.
Recommended Citation
Anastas, Jason, "The Multi-Scale Dynamics of Executive Function" (2012). Master's Theses. 225.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/gs_theses/225
Major Advisor
James Dixon