The common factor of executive functions measures nothing but speed of information uptake

Publication type:
Journal article
Metadata:
Autoren
Autoren-URL
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=fis-test-1&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:001164430800001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL
DOI
10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7
eISSN
1430-2772
Externe Identifier
  • Clarivate Analytics Document Solution ID: SR7S8
  • PubMed Identifier: 38372769
ISSN
0340-0727
Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung
4
Zeitschrift
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH-PSYCHOLOGISCHE FORSCHUNG
Paginierung
1092 - 1114
Datum der Veröffentlichung
2024
Status
Published
Titel
The common factor of executive functions measures nothing but speed of information uptake
Sub types
  • Article
Ausgabe der Zeitschrift
88

Data source: Web of Science (Lite)

Other metadata sources:
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>There is an ongoing debate about the unity and diversity of executive functions and their relationship with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory capacity, and intelligence. Specifically, the initially proposed unity and diversity of executive functions is challenged by discussions about (1) the factorial structure of executive functions and (2) unfavorable psychometric properties of measures of executive functions. The present study addressed two methodological limitations of previous work that may explain conflicting results: The inconsistent use of (a) accuracy-based vs. reaction time-based indicators and (b) average performance vs. difference scores. In a sample of 148 participants who completed a battery of executive function tasks, we tried to replicate the three-factor model of the three commonly distinguished executive functions shifting, updating, and inhibition by adopting data-analytical choices of previous work. After addressing the identified methodological limitations using drift–diffusion modeling, we only found one common factor of executive functions that was fully accounted for by individual differences in the speed of information uptake. No variance specific to executive functions remained. Our results suggest that individual differences common to all executive function tasks measure nothing more than individual differences in the speed of information uptake. We therefore suggest refraining from using typical executive function tasks to study substantial research questions, as these tasks are not valid for measuring individual differences in executive functions.</jats:p>
Autoren
DOI
10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7
eISSN
1430-2772
ISSN
0340-0727
Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung
4
Zeitschrift
Psychological Research
Sprache
en
Online publication date
2024
Paginierung
1092 - 1114
Datum der Veröffentlichung
2024
Status
Published
Herausgeber
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Herausgeber URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7
Datum der Datenerfassung
2024
Titel
The common factor of executive functions measures nothing but speed of information uptake
Ausgabe der Zeitschrift
88

Data source: Crossref

Abstract
There is an ongoing debate about the unity and diversity of executive functions and their relationship with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory capacity, and intelligence. Specifically, the initially proposed unity and diversity of executive functions is challenged by discussions about (1) the factorial structure of executive functions and (2) unfavorable psychometric properties of measures of executive functions. The present study addressed two methodological limitations of previous work that may explain conflicting results: The inconsistent use of (a) accuracy-based vs. reaction time-based indicators and (b) average performance vs. difference scores. In a sample of 148 participants who completed a battery of executive function tasks, we tried to replicate the three-factor model of the three commonly distinguished executive functions shifting, updating, and inhibition by adopting data-analytical choices of previous work. After addressing the identified methodological limitations using drift-diffusion modeling, we only found one common factor of executive functions that was fully accounted for by individual differences in the speed of information uptake. No variance specific to executive functions remained. Our results suggest that individual differences common to all executive function tasks measure nothing more than individual differences in the speed of information uptake. We therefore suggest refraining from using typical executive function tasks to study substantial research questions, as these tasks are not valid for measuring individual differences in executive functions.
Addresses
  • Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. christoph.loeffler@uni-mainz.de.
Autoren
DOI
10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7
eISSN
1430-2772
Externe Identifier
  • PubMed Identifier: 38372769
  • PubMed Central ID: PMC11143038
Funding acknowledgements
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: SCHU 3266/1-1
  • Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg:
Open access
true
ISSN
0340-0727
Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung
4
Zeitschrift
Psychological research
Schlüsselwörter
  • Humans
  • Individuality
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Reaction Time
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Psychometrics
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Male
  • Young Adult
  • Executive Function
  • Inhibition, Psychological
Sprache
eng
Medium
Print-Electronic
Online publication date
2024
Open access status
Open Access
Paginierung
1092 - 1114
Datum der Veröffentlichung
2024
Status
Published
Publisher licence
CC BY
Datum der Datenerfassung
2024
Titel
The common factor of executive functions measures nothing but speed of information uptake.
Sub types
  • research-article
  • Journal Article
Ausgabe der Zeitschrift
88

Files

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7.pdf https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC11143038?pdf=render

Data source: Europe PubMed Central

Abstract
There is an ongoing debate about the unity and diversity of executive functions and their relationship with other cognitive abilities such as processing speed, working memory capacity, and intelligence. Specifically, the initially proposed unity and diversity of executive functions is challenged by discussions about (1) the factorial structure of executive functions and (2) unfavorable psychometric properties of measures of executive functions. The present study addressed two methodological limitations of previous work that may explain conflicting results: The inconsistent use of (a) accuracy-based vs. reaction time-based indicators and (b) average performance vs. difference scores. In a sample of 148 participants who completed a battery of executive function tasks, we tried to replicate the three-factor model of the three commonly distinguished executive functions shifting, updating, and inhibition by adopting data-analytical choices of previous work. After addressing the identified methodological limitations using drift-diffusion modeling, we only found one common factor of executive functions that was fully accounted for by individual differences in the speed of information uptake. No variance specific to executive functions remained. Our results suggest that individual differences common to all executive function tasks measure nothing more than individual differences in the speed of information uptake. We therefore suggest refraining from using typical executive function tasks to study substantial research questions, as these tasks are not valid for measuring individual differences in executive functions.
Date of acceptance
2023
Autoren
Autoren-URL
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38372769
DOI
10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7
eISSN
1430-2772
Externe Identifier
  • PubMed Central ID: PMC11143038
Funding acknowledgements
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: SCHU 3266/1-1
Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung
4
Zeitschrift
Psychol Res
Schlüsselwörter
  • Humans
  • Executive Function
  • Male
  • Female
  • Adult
  • Young Adult
  • Reaction Time
  • Individuality
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Inhibition, Psychological
  • Adolescent
  • Psychometrics
Sprache
eng
Country
Germany
Paginierung
1092 - 1114
PII
10.1007/s00426-023-01924-7
Datum der Veröffentlichung
2024
Status
Published
Datum, an dem der Datensatz öffentlich gemacht wurde
2024
Titel
The common factor of executive functions measures nothing but speed of information uptake.
Sub types
  • Journal Article
Ausgabe der Zeitschrift
88

Data source: PubMed

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