Executive Function Underpinning Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescence and Adulthood

Abstract

In multitasking situations, flexible switching between tasks is required for reaching goals correctly and efficiently. The executive function underpinning this type of mental flexibility is called the shifting function, which is measured traditionally using the Wisconsin card sorting test. More recently, the task-switching paradigm was developed to measure this function. This article reviews studies that used the task-switching paradigm and addresses the cognitive processes that underlie task-switching performance in adolescents and adults. First, the various experimental protocols of task switching and the cognitive processes that are involved in task-switching performance are reviewed. Second, the specific aspects of the cognitive processes of mental flexibility that develop during adolescence are discussed. Finally, the cognitive issues of mental flexibility in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are considered. The task-switching paradigm has provided new insights into the development (and disorder) of mental flexibility, and fine-grained experimental manipulations have led to a deeper understanding of the cognitive processes involved in this mental mechanism.