Neuro-Empowerment of Executive Functions in the Workplace: The Reason Why

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Michela Balconi¹  Laura Angioletti¹  Davide Crivelli¹ 

[1] Research Unit in Affective and Social Neuroscience, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart;Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

关键词: neuromanagement;    neurocognitive empowerment;    executive functions;    self-regulation;    stress management;    workplace;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01519

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The successful achievement of pre-established working goals and the ability to respondappropriately to workplace demands depends both on efficient and flexible cognitive andsocial functioning.Previous research has proposed that executive functions (EFs) play an essential role in workperformance, with successful professionals displaying better social, cognitive, and executivefunctioning (Bailey, 2007; Willoughby and Blair, 2016). Therefore, the demand of assessmentprocedures and empowerment protocols dedicated to the EFs is growing rapidly.EFs are considered a family of top-down mental processes including inhibition (self-control andinterference control), working memory, and cognitive flexibility (Miyake et al., 2000; Diamond,2013). They are high-level cognitive functions that foster goal-directed behavior and are apre-requisite for sustained focusing, regulation of attention resources and automatic responses,and rapid and flexible adjustment to the changeable requests of the environment (Miller andCohen, 2001; Burgess and Simons, 2005). These components sustain more complex cognitivefunctions—such as reasoning, planning, decision-making, creativity, and problem solving—whichrepresent critical skills for professional success and optimal workplace performance. As posited byDiamond (2013), “EFs make it possible for us to mentally play with ideas, quickly and flexibly adaptto changed circumstances, take time to consider what to do next, resist temptations, stay focused, andmeet novel, unanticipated challenges” (p. 155).

【 授权许可】

CC BY