Executive Control

Module Overview

In this module, the executive control system is introduced. This module begins by the evolutionary growth in the size and importance of the prefrontal cortex relative to the rest of the brain. The role of executive control is discussed using the driving task as an example. Executive control of eye movements is also discussed along with the connectivity to other brain regions that allows this control to occur. Shifting, updating, and inhibition are introduced as three important components of executive control.

Introduction

There has been a long standing tradition in psychology of removing any references that imply a homunculus, or a little man inside the hide. Philosophically the existence of a homunculus poses a danger of infinite regress, where each homunculus requires the existence of another homunculus inside its head. Executive control is a machine-like (and therefore not homuncular) process whereby the actions and behaviors of a sentient being and motivated and coordinated. The functions of executive control are closely associated with the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain which is also most distinct from other animal species. Understanding the role of executive control is key to understanding how humans can perform tasks and control impulses and distractions.

The executive control system is highly interconnected with other parts of the brain and is involved in the control of many brain activities including perception and memory. One key finding in recent years is that there is a hierarchy of abstraction in the prefrontral cortex where processing becomes increasingly abstract as activation moves from the back to the front of the pre-frontal cortex (i.e., from caudal to rostral regions).

Discussion of the control of eye movements provides a demonstration of how an activity can be coordinated by many different areas of the brain. Eye movements are particularly instructive because they can be voluntary or involuntary and this can distinction can be seen in the separate pathways that control eye movements in each case. This module uses driving to illustrate the impact of executive control on a complex task. The role of executive control in coordinating task oriented brain activity is the pedagogical focus of this module. The module describes the properties of the executive control system and how it is located in the prefrontal cortex and communicates with many other areas in the brain to organize and coordinate task-related activities.

This module consists of a video describing the properties of executive control. The module also contains a supplementary video that discusses the problem of driver distraction from the perspective of executive control.

Prerequisites

Before starting this module, it will be helpful to be familiar with:

Basic concepts of working memory and neuronal activation,
The location of the prefrontal cortex,
The properties of eye movements.

Learning Outcomes

With careful study, by the end of this module, one should be able to:

Sketch the position of the prefrontal cortex in the brain,
Explain the role of executive control in tasks such as driving,
Describe the relationship between executive control and eye movements.

Related Project Resources

Type	Title	Author	Description
Image	Evolution of the Prefrontal Cortex (PNG, 362.96 KB)	Dr. Peter Coppin	CC BY
Image	Inhibition Donuts (PNG, 1.51 MB)	Dr. Peter Coppin	CC BY
Image	Driving in Reverse (PNG, 3.24 MB)	Dr. Peter Coppin	CC BY
Image	Prefrontal Cortex (PNG, 3.6MB)	Dr. Peter Coppin	CC BY
File	Executive Control (Storyline File) (ZIP, 262.74 KB)	Dr. Mark Chignell	This Storyline File can be downloaded and modified to your specific learning objectives (within the bounds of the creative commons licensing selected for this file. This is encouraged, but any technical issues are not supported by the University of Toronto.
File	Executive Control (SCORM Package) (ZIP, 1.02 MB)	Dr. Mark Chignell	This SCORM package can be uploaded into your institution's Learning Management System.
File	Executive Control (Notes Pages) (PDF, 185.47 KB)	Andrea Jovanovic	This file could be shared with students for taking notes while participating in the module.
File	Executive Control - Instructor Presentation (PDF, 630.59 KB)	Andrea Jovanovic	This file could be used by an instructor in the classroom to present this material.