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Executive Functioning: Understanding and Managing Deficits - Test
by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., ABPP

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1. The concept of executive functioning (EF) arose out of the:	Help
Far longer history of efforts to understand the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). History of the concept of attention. History of scientific research on the cerebellum. None of the above

2. According to Luria, Pavlov, and Bekhterev, the over-arching function of the PFC (and hence the central meaning of the term EF) was the:	Help
Programming of motor action. Capacity to understand language. Integration of goal-directed action. Identification of odors using the sense of smell.

3. How many definitions of executive functioning are there in the extant literature?	Help
Just one on which all authors agree Less than 10 More than 30 More than 100

4. In the model of EF developed by Stuss and Benson in 1986, which of these was perched at the highest level of the EF system and is believed to be its highest attribute?	Help
Self-Awareness Sequencing Anticipation Goal Selection

5. What made Lezak's (1995) definition of EF so refreshing in its emphasis was that EF:	Help
Is purposive action. Involves working memory. Is essential for socially independent behavior and involves self-interests. Involves distractibility.

6. Anderson (2002) developed a four-factor model of EF based on factor analytic studies of EF test batteries. The four factors in his model included:	Help
Motor coordination, processing speed, working memory, and odor identification. Attentional control, information processing, cognitive flexibility, and goal setting. Attentional control, motor coordination, inhibition, and speech recognition. Motor coordination, color recognition, spatial orientation, and emotion regulation.

7. One problem with EF test batteries is that they:	Help
Take far too long to administer. Cost too much money for patients. Have also been used as measures of attention. None of the above

8. In Barkley's theory of EF as comprising self-regulation, which of the following are involved in his 6 types of self-directed action:	Help
Self-restraint Self-directed private speech Self-directed emotion/motivation All of the above

9. Which of the following are problems identified in the history of definitions of the concept of EF?	Help
Lack of a consensus definition Lack of an operational definition of EF Missing social significance of EF All of the above

10. Which of the following are additional problems with current models of EF?	Help
Oversight of the importance of emotion and motivation Failure to include speech perception in the models Use of animals to study EF None of the above

11. The author argues that the use of the computer metaphor for brain functioning and EF is plagued by which of the following problems:	Help
Computers are designed, human brains evolved. Computers are passive, human brains are not. Animals move and act under their own power, computers do not. All of the above

12. Which of the following are some of the social deficits arising from PFC (hence EF) damage as noted by Eslinger (1996)?	Help
Demanding and self-centered behavior Lack of social tact and restraint Apathy and indifference, and lack of empathy All of the above

13. Unspoken yet clearly present in efforts to understand EF or the functions of the PFC, according to Barkley, is that to conceive of and pursue a goal that, by definition, lies ahead in time, the individual must:	Help
Possess a sense of the future - they must be capable of foresight. Ignore surrounding social distractions. Be clairvoyant. None of the above

14. Which of the following are commonalities identified across various concepts of EF?	Help
Goal-directed action Self-awareness over time The retrospective function (hindsight) All of the above

15. What is the "fuel" referring to in the following quote from the section on Commonalities in Previous Definitions of EF? "The foregoing 'cold' cognitive processes may be metaphorically compared to a computer brain in a modern self-guided missile but that missile will not leave the launch pad without fuel."	Help
Interference Control Working Memory Inhibition Self-Motivation

16. Problem-solving, according to Barkley, is the:	Help
Secondary purpose of the PFC apart from human will. The means for generating multiple possible alternative actions that may be needed when goal-directed actions (initial plans) are thwarted or unsuccessful and the plan must be revised. Least important EF for human survival and welfare. None of the above

17. The author believes that EF can be defined initially as:	Help
Hindsight, or the capacity to evaluate previous temporal sequences. Problem-solving during goal-directed action. Self-regulation across time for the attainment of one's goals typically in the context of others. All of the above.

18. In the Conclusion to the section on commonalities in definitions of EF, the author believes that "the key to identifying any human activity as being executive in nature is:"	Help
Planning, problem-solving, and working memory. Whether or not that activity is being self-directed in an effort to change subsequent behavior. The cross-temporal organization of behavior. Set shifting.

19. EF tests are usually contaminated with (correlated with):	Help
IQ. Processing speed. Measures of attention. All of the above.

20. A serious problem for EF tests, especially as indices of PFC functioning, is that:	Help
Only a minority of patients experiencing frontal lobe injuries score in the impaired range on these measures. Only a minority of patients experiencing ADHD and presumed to have a frontal lobe disorder score in the impaired range on these measures. They are not significantly correlated with rating scales of EF in daily life. All of the above

21. The evidence to date indicates that if assessing how well people do in using EF in their daily life activities is important in clinically evaluating EF, then:	Help
Rating scales assessing EF are superior to EF tests. Tests of EF are superior to EF rating scales. Neither approach is any better than the other. There is no way to judge their ecological validity.

22. Some of the advantages of rating scales for assessing EF are:	Help
Longer ascertainment window than EF tests. Greater ecological validity in predicting major life impairment. Not contaminated with IQ. All of the above.

23. Which of the following is a disadvantage in using rating scales to assess EF?	Help
Too expensive for use in clinical practice Various confounding factors may influence the rater Poor norms - not representative of the U.S. population Do not give adequate information on sex differences in adults

24. Rating scales are often criticized for:	Help
Using relatively vague references to frequency of behavior, such as "sometimes," "often," or "very often." Having poor test-retest reliability. Having poor internal consistency. All of the above.

25. Which of the following are principles for managing EF deficits as derived from Barkley's theory of EF?	Help
Externalize information Externally represent or remove gaps in time Externalize motivation All of the above

26. EF deficits arise from problems with:	Help
Knowing what to do. Doing what you know. Both. Neither.

27. In Barkley's model of the extended phenotype of executive functioning, he is referring to:	Help
The effects of executive functioning on other mental abilities. The extension of his theory of EF to other psychiatric disorders. The effects of the trait of EF into an ever-widening circle or zones of influence into personal, social, and community life. The application of the EF phenotype to other species.

28. In Barkley's theory of executive functioning, he identifies three important processes in the development of an executive function. These processes are:	Help
The self-direction of actions. The privatization of those self-directed actions. The regulation of the self and subsequent behavior by these self-directed actions. All of the above.

29. In Barkley's Theory of EF, there are how many self-directed actions that makeup the EF components?	Help
2 4 7 10

30. Which of the following is NOT one of the self-directed actions that comprise the EF components in Barkley's theory?	Help
Self-awareness Self-restraint Self-directed speech None of the above

31. According to Barkley's Theory of EF, the emergence of the EFs create which of the following transitions in what is controlling human behavior?	Help
From external events to mental representations From visuospatial processes to verbal processes From motor coordination to locomotion None of the above

32. What does Barkley consider to be an emergent property arising from EF in daily life choices?	Help
Emotional sensitivity Enhanced sensory awareness Time preference Language syntax

33. A high time preference is reflected in:	Help
Preferring to pursue small, short term rewards over larger, later ones. A deficiency in how far ahead those with EF deficits like ADHD contemplate and activate to prepare for probable future events. A steep discounting of the motivational value of delayed over immediate rewards than is seen in typical people. All of the above

34. Behavior modification methods are:	Help
Particularly well-suited to assist with "externalizing motivation." Only of value for teaching new knowledge. Only useful for children and not with adults with EF deficits. Not of any utility in managing EF deficits.

35. Which of the following are likely to boost the EF "resource pool":	Help
Routine physical exercise Alternative remedies like Ginko biloba or St. John's Wort Substances involving aspartame Eye movement desensitization training

36. The "point of performance" is:	Help
The place in the natural environment where problems with EF are interfering with effective performance. The place where external accommodations for EF deficits must be inserted if those deficits are to be addressed. A major treatment implication from Barkley's theory of EF deficits. All of the above

Executive Functioning: Understanding and Managing Deficits - Test by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., ABPP

Executive Functioning: Understanding and Managing Deficits - Test
by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., ABPP