Let Me Choose: The Role of Choice in the Development of Executive Function Skills

Executive function (EF) skills, including working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, form the neurocognitive basis for conscious, goal-directed behavior and self-control. Young children are notoriously deficient in such skills, but EF improves most rapidly in the preschool period. Individual differences in EF are predictive of a host of important life outcomes, and recent advances in measurement and intervention are promising. Caregivers play a key role in the development of EF, particularly with respect to supporting the child’s autonomy. I take a closer look at agency and discuss theoretical and empirical support for the notion that giving children a sense of choice in how to act, think, and feel is essential for healthy EF skill development in early childhood.