VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 3
Table 1
Common EF Skills
Skill Definition Common Examples
Inhibition Controlling impulses or
automatic responses
Staying seated even though
you want something across
the room; raising your hand
and waiting to talk when
called upon
Self-monitoring Recognizing the effects of
your behavior on others or the
environment
Noticing that you are
bothering someone near you
by humming; identifying the
marks you left on the wall
when you kicked it
Shifting/flexibility Being flexible in your
thoughts and actions
Considering others' points of
view; reframing an even with
a more positive outlook;
choosing to approach a
problem in a different way
Emotional Control Regulating your emotional
responses
Cooling down your anger
before responding to someone
who cut in line; increasing
your motivation to complete a
boring task by thinking about
your end goal
Working Memory Holding information in mind
for the purpose of staying
focused/on-task; mental
multi-tasking; mental
manipulation
Reminding yourself what you
are supposed to be working
on when you get distracted;
remembering your to-do list
while also working on an item
from it; adding up sums in
your head
Planning and organizing Thinking about how to break
down a complex task into
small, ordered steps;
preparing a list or outline for
a task
Making to-do lists;
completing a planner with
weekly goals for a large
project; preparing a study
guide
Task initiation Getting started on a task Brainstorming; laying out the
materials; writing a first
