Executive function of shifting: factorial structure and relations to personality and intelligence domains

Abstract

This study explores the executive function of shifting and its relation to intelligence and personality constructs. We administered four different cognitive tasks that are presumed to be markers of shifting. The exploratory factor analysis yielded a one factor solution underlying these tasks. Significant correlations between this factor and measures of intelligence were found. In addition, the shifting factor showed a significant relation to neuroticism trait and the direction of this relation implied that greater neuroticism corresponded to greater shifting costs. Our findings are in contrast with the early conceptions of executive functions as completely unrelated to intelligence and also some contemporary research showing that shifting factor is unrelated to intelligence measures, but support the findings that shifting ability is correlated with Gf. More importantly results of our study shed new light on the nature of the trait neuroticism, implying that executive functions might play a significant role in determining people's general emotional vulnerability.