Current Research Trends on Executive Function in Children

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore research trends in childhood executive function in Korean academic journal articles. This study showed which population groups were studied, which factors of executive function were measured, and which domains were studied in the selected articels. Methods: A systematic review of empirical studies of childhood executive function published in Korean academic journals from 2006 to 2016 was conducted. Through searching the KERIS database, 60 empirical studies were selected for review. Results: The results of the analyses showed that the population group the most studied was normal young children and that factors of executive function most studied were inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Conclusion: Based on this systematic review of empirical studies of childhood executive function, several suggestions for future research are addressed.