The Brain's Conductor: The Psychology of Focus, Flexibility, and Control

Harvard FAS

Cognitive control, also known as executive function, is our ability to behave flexibly and not simply respond automatically to stimuli in our environment. It explains why you’re able to avoid answering your phone while driving or concentrate on finishing your homework in a crowded cafe, but also why you might catch yourself walking to last semester’s classes when the term changes, or find yourself opening social media apps on your phone without even realizing it. In this course we will dive…