Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved

Russell A. Barkley

May 2012 · Guilford Press

About this ebook

This groundbreaking book offers a comprehensive theory of executive functioning (EF) with important clinical implications. Synthesizing cutting-edge neuropsychological and evolutionary research, Russell A. Barkley presents a model of EF that is rooted in meaningful activities of daily life. He describes how abilities such as emotion regulation, self-motivation, planning, and working memory enable people to pursue both personal and collective goals that are critical to survival. Key stages of EF development are identified and the far-reaching individual and social costs of EF deficits detailed. Barkley explains specific ways that his model may support much-needed advances in assessment and treatment.

See also Barkley's empirically based, ecologically valid assessment tools: Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS for Adults) and Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale--Children and Adolescents (BDEFS-CA).

Ratings and reviews

This book "Evolves" your perspective- it shouldn't be ignored. It is something that no academic researcher and something that no person performing psychological or neuropsychological testing on people who may or may not have ADHD or other Executive Functioning concerns should miss. All too often we equate executive functioning with results on cognitive testing and ignore the "functioning" portion of the term- how does someone actually adapt and perform in their daily activities? Dr. Barkley argues that executive functioning/cognitive tests fail to predict actual impairment related to executive functioning deficits very well. He also suggests that evolution should be a guiding perspective in Neuropsychology- and this book will certainly "evolve" your perspective on how we interpret these tests. You can now also get CE credits for reading it! Todd Finnerty, Psy.D. President of PsychContinuingEd com,LLC

About the author

Russell A. Barkley, PhD, ABPP, ABCN, before retiring in 2021, served on the faculties of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Barkley has worked with children, adolescents, and families since the 1970s and is the author of numerous bestselling books for both professionals and the public, including Taking Charge of ADHD and Your Defiant Child. He has also published six assessment scales and more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, executive functioning, and childhood defiance. A frequent conference presenter and speaker who is widely cited in the national media, Dr. Barkley is past president of the Section on Clinical Child Psychology (the former Division 12) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. He is a recipient of awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the APA, among other honors. His website is www.russellbarkley.org.