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Cognitive Control and Self-Regulation

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Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

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Synonyms

executive control; self-control

Cognitive control and self-regulation are key determinants of goal-related behavior and known to be highly susceptible to increasing age. This entry provides an overview about new insights into the geropsychology of cognitive control and self-regulation. In two sections, each concept is briefly defined in combination with existing knowledge about their neuronal underpinnings. Then, empirical evidence on age differences in cognitive control and self-regulatory abilities as well as on how these can be improved by cognitive interventions will be summarized.

Definition of Cognitive Control

The term cognitive control refers to a set of higher-order processes that regulate basic sensory, motor, and cognitive operations for planning, guiding, and coordinating goal-directed behavior in everyday life (Miller and Wallis 2009). As these higher-order cognitive processes are assumed to allow pursuing internal goals and flexibly adapting to external changes,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saarland University, 15 11 50, 66041, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Hannah Schmitt & Jutta Kray

  2. Department of Psychology, Saarland University, 15 11 50, 66041, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany

    Jutta Kray

Authors
  1. Hannah Schmitt
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  2. Jutta Kray
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Correspondence to Hannah Schmitt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Schmitt, H., Kray, J. (2015). Cognitive Control and Self-Regulation. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_158-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_158-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-287-080-3

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