Conclusion: The State of the Art in Research on Individual Differences in Executive Control and Cognition

Abstract

The chapters in this book illustrate the richness and diversity of research on individual differences (IDs) in executive control. Our aim in this summary chapter is to identify some of the major themes in this research area, and to discuss how the various chapters address these themes. This chapter is not intended to provide a general synthesis of the field, which would be premature. The reader is referred to the preceding chapters and the commentary sections for the various theoretical perspectives on IDs in executive control. The chapter is organized around three sets of topics. First, we outline the major research issues that provide the foundation for the study of IDs in executive control. Next, we identify some areas of reasonable consensus, at least in terms of general approaches (although significant differences in detail may remain). We finish with a survey of some areas of controversy, where some more fundamental differences between researchers may reside.