ABSTRACT

Cognitive control (also referred to as executive functions) corresponds to a set of cognitive processes that support the goal-directed regulation of thoughts and actions. It plays a major role in complex activities and predicts later academic achievement. Importantly, while growing up, children are progressively transitioning from engaging cognitive control in an externally driven fashion, i.e., relying on external guidance, to exerting it self-directedly, i.e., autonomously determining when and how to engage it. Although growing self-directedness in cognitive control engagement is critical to autonomy gains during childhood, relatively little is known about the underlying cognitive mechanisms. Incorporating previous main proposals in cognitive control development, we propose that self-directed control development is driven by the ability to identify relevant goals, facilitated through accumulated knowledge on how to engage cognitive control with age. Importantly, we argue that there are two key processes that are part of successful goal identification: context-tracking and goal selection. We argue that most developmental changes are linked to context-tracking as the demands on this process are particularly high in self-directed situations. We then derived main predictions from this theoretical model as well as promising future directions.

摘要

认知控制（也称为执行功能）对应于一组支持思想和行为的目标导向调节的认知过程。它在复杂的活动中起着重要作用，并预测以后的学业成就。重要的是，在成长过程中，儿童逐渐从以外部驱动的方式参与认知控制（即依赖外部指导）过渡到自主施加认知控制，即自主决定何时以及如何参与。尽管在认知控制参与中不断增强的自我导向性对于童年时期获得自主权至关重要，但人们对潜在的认知机制知之甚少。结合以前在认知控制发展方面的主要建议，我们提出，自主控制的发展是由识别相关目标的能力驱动的，通过积累关于如何将认知控制与年龄相结合的知识来促进。重要的是，我们认为成功的目标识别有两个关键过程：上下文跟踪和目标选择。我们认为，大多数发展变化都与情境追踪有关，因为在自主情况下对这一过程的要求特别高。然后，我们从这个理论模型中得出了主要预测以及有希望的未来方向。我们认为，大多数发展变化都与情境追踪有关，因为在自主情况下对这一过程的要求特别高。然后，我们从这个理论模型中得出了主要预测以及有希望的未来方向。我们认为，大多数发展变化都与情境追踪有关，因为在自主情况下对这一过程的要求特别高。然后，我们从这个理论模型中得出了主要预测以及有希望的未来方向。