Development of the ability to act “in the mind” and executive functions during training sessions

The article raises the issue of the need to develop educational programs for young people that focus on the most important component of human intelligence — the ability to act «in the mind».

It is stated that this concept was introduced by the Russian psychologist Ya. A. Ponomaryov. Subsequently, the role of the ability to act «in the mind» in the arbitrary regulation of behavior and creative activity was revealed in the Russian psychological school.

Since the works of L. S. Vygotsky, the role of primary school age in the development of intelligence and the ability to act «in the mind» as its most important component has been stated. The article emphasizes that the intensity of the development of this ability decreases significantly with age.

This paper discusses competencies that are directly related to the development of mental planning: goal setting, forecasting, and carrying out activities in accordance with the plan. Since there are very few studies in Russia that focus on the ability of adult subjects to act «in their minds,» the goal is to analyze the literature on this topic in English.

The article discusses the concept of executive functions, within which the effectiveness of the above-mentioned competencies is studied in English-language sources. The structure of executive functions is described as a system of cognitive processes that provide purposeful control of behavior: goal-setting, planning, suppression of impulsive responses, and adaptation to changing conditions.

 The author also provides a fragment of an educational program aimed at developing self-control, goal-setting, step-by-step actions, analysis and accounting of available resources during planning, and the formation of flexible thinking skills.

1. Асмолов, А. Г., & Пастернак, Н. А. (2024). Ребенок в культуре взрослых. Юрайт. https://elibrary.ru/cnehlh

2. Выготский, Л. С. (2005). Психология развития ребенка. Смысл, Эксмо. https://elibrary.ru/qxnssv

3. Галкина, Т. В. (2010). Развитие концепции Я. А. Пономарева о центральном звене психологического механизма поведения. В А. Л. Журавлев, М. А. Холодная, Д. В. Ушаков, Т. В. Галкина (Ред.), Психология интеллекта и творчества: традиции и инновации (с. 22–34). Институт психологии РАН. https://elibrary.ru/xqpetr

4. Пастернак, Н. А. (2020). В А. Г. Асмолов (Ред.), Резервы человеческого интеллекта: способность действовать «в уме». Когито-центр.

5. Пастернак, Н. А. (2023). Способность действовать «в уме» и рабочая память: какие факторы влияют на успешность обучения. Новые психологические исследования, 2, 26–38. https://elibrary.ru/vfhsno

6. Пономарев, Я. А. (1967). Знание, мышление, умственное развитие. Просвещение.

7. Ушаков, Д. В. (2011). Психология интеллекта и одаренности. Когито-центр. https://elibrary.ru/rbcbwb

8. Чернокова, Т. Е. (2009). О возможностях развития метакогнитивных функций у детей дошкольного возраста с точки зрения культурно-исторической психологии. Культурно- историческая психология, 4, 70–75. https://elibrary.ru/ldftvf

9. Cole, S. N., Smith, D. M., Ragan, K., Suurmond, R., & Armitage, C. J. (2021). Synthesizing the effects of mental simulation on behavior change: Systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis. Psychon Bull Rev, 28(5), 1514–1537. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-021-01880-6

10. Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev- psych‑113011–143750

11. Friedman, N. P., Miyake, A., Young, S. E., DeFries, J. C., Corley, R. P., & Hewitt, J. K. (2008). Individual differences in executive functions are almost entirely genetic in origin. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 137(2), 201–225. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.137.2.201

12. Lezak, M. D. (1982). The problem of assessing executive functions. International Journal of Psychology, 17(1–4), 281–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207598208247445

13. Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex «frontal lobe» tasks: A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41(1), 49–100. https://doi.org/10.1006/cogp.1999.0734

14. Suddendorf, T., & Corballis, M. C. (2007). The evolution of foresight: What is mental time travel, and is it unique to humans? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 30(3), 299–313. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X07001975

15. Taylor, S. E., & Schneider, S. K. (1989). Coping and the simulation of events. Social Cognition, 7(2), 174–194. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.1989.7.2.174

16. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). In M. Cole, V. Jolm- Steiner, S. Scribner, E. Souberman (Eds.), Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4