Zarządzanie emocjami? Funkcje zarządzające a rozwój emocjonalny
Managing emotions? Executive functions and emotional development

Summary/Abstract: Recent interest in the executive functions has resulted in intensive research on the relation between these and other aspects of functioning, especially language and theory of mind. However, there are relatively few studies of the relation between the executive functions and emotional development, despite the fact that the executive functions are supposed to regulate not only thoughts and behaviour but also emotions (Best et al. 2009). The paper presents a review of research on the relations between the executive functions and two aspects of the emotional development: emotion regulation and emotion understanding. The emotion regulation seems to be closely connected with the executive functions; in some contexts, these two constructs become undistinguishable, especially where the hot executive functions are concerned (Zelazo & Cunningham 2007). As we consider the cool aspect of the executive functions, research suggests that inhibition and cognitive flexibility may play a role in the emotion regulation. Similarly, inhibition and cognitive flexibility, together with working memory, seem to be related to the emotion understanding. Finally, the paper quotes results suggesting a modifying influence of emotions on the executive functioning. Analysis of the mutual relations between the executive functioning and the emotional development has helped to elaborate the model of the relations between the control and the understanding in the domains of cognition and emotions (Leerkes et al. 2008).

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