Individual differences in executive functions are almost entirely genetic in origin.

TLDR

Executive functions are multifaceted cognitive control processes that are correlated yet separable. The study used a multivariate twin design to examine why individuals differ in three executive functions—response inhibition, working‑memory updating, and task‑set shifting—and why these abilities are correlated yet separable from a behavioral‑genetic perspective. Results show that executive functions are highly heritable (99%) due to a common genetic factor beyond general intelligence or perceptual speed, with additional specific genetic influences accounting for their separability, making them among the most heritable psychological traits and underscoring the value of genetic approaches to uncover their biological bases.

Abstract

Recent psychological and neuropsychological research suggests that executive functions--the cognitive control processes that regulate thought and action--are multifaceted and that different types of executive functions are correlated but separable. The present multivariate twin study of 3 executive functions (inhibiting dominant responses, updating working memory representations, and shifting between task sets), measured as latent variables, examined why people vary in these executive control abilities and why these abilities are correlated but separable from a behavioral genetic perspective. Results indicated that executive functions are correlated because they are influenced by a highly heritable (99%) common factor that goes beyond general intelligence or perceptual speed, and they are separable because of additional genetic influences unique to particular executive functions. This combination of general and specific genetic influences places executive functions among the most heritable psychological traits. These results highlight the potential of genetic approaches for uncovering the biological underpinnings of executive functions and suggest a need for examining multiple types of executive functions to distinguish different levels of genetic influences.