Desarrollo de funciones ejecutivas, de la niñez a la juventud

Flóres-Lázaro, Julio C.; Castillo-Preciado, Rosa E.; Jiménez-Miramonte, Norma A. · 2014 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.6018/analesps.30.2.155471

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Summary

This review article synthesizes international literature on the development of executive functions (EFs) from childhood through youth, addressing the lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding this developmental trajectory. The authors argue that while EFs are critical for successful cognitive and behavioral control, previous research has often focused on isolated developmental stages or limited sample sizes, resulting in a fragmented understanding. The study aims to validate Victoria Anderson’s hypothesis that EFs develop sequentially and curvilinearly, characterized by intense progression during childhood and a plateau in early adolescence. Additionally, the review examines the influence of non-age-related factors, including schooling, parenting styles, and cultural context. The methodology involved a qualitative selection of 74 representative articles from an initial pool of 153, identified over the last 15 years. The selection was guided by major meta-analyses and reviews, such as those by Romine and Reynolds (2005) and Best and Miller (2010). The authors categorized the findings into four developmental stages: very early (early childhood), early (late childhood), intermediate (early-middle adolescence), and late (late adolescence-youth). This framework allowed for a comparative analysis of specific EFs, including inhibitory control, working memory, mental flexibility, strategic memory, planning, verbal fluency, and abstract thinking. The findings confirm that EF development is neither uniform nor linear. Early-developing functions, such as risk selection detection and inhibitory control, show competence as early as ages 4–5, with inhibitory control reaching peak performance between 9 and 10 years. Intermediate functions, including working memory, mental flexibility, and strategic memory, exhibit significant growth during late childhood, typically plateauing around age 12. Sequential planning is noted as the latest-developing intermediate function, reaching maturity around age 15. Late-developing functions, such as verbal fluency and abstract attitude, continue to evolve into late adolescence and even university years, particularly when supported by continued education. The review also highlights that adolescents possess the cognitive capacity to detect risk but often engage in risky behavior due to heightened motivational valence for rewards, rather than frontal lobe immaturity alone. The significance of this work lies in its confirmation of the sequential and curvilinear nature of EF development, challenging simplistic views of adolescent cognitive immaturity. By integrating diverse EFs across a broad age range, the authors provide a comprehensive conceptual framework that underscores the importance of schooling and environmental factors in shaping cognitive trajectories. The findings suggest that the transition from concrete to abstract processing is a prolonged process extending into youth, with implications for educational strategies and the understanding of adolescent decision-making. This review serves as a foundational reference for future research aiming to address the partial panorama of EF development currently present in the field.

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• executive function