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Executive Functions Promote Well-Being: Outcomes and Mediators

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The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being

Abstract

The ability to control urges and impulses does more than keep us out of trouble. Over the long haul, people with strong executive functions do better in many areas of life, such as at school and in relationships. In the current chapter, we will review research that links executive functions to various facets of well-being including personal relationships, health, and academic achievement. We will explore why executive functions serve a protective role and will also consider whether enhancing executive functions has the potential to make us happier people.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department. Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA

    Anna Luerssen

  2. Psychology Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-1650, USA

    Ozlem Ayduk

Authors
  1. Anna Luerssen
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  2. Ozlem Ayduk
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Correspondence to Anna Luerssen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, NDSU Department 2765, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

    Michael D. Robinson

  2. Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Michael Eid

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Luerssen, A., Ayduk, O. (2017). Executive Functions Promote Well-Being: Outcomes and Mediators. In: Robinson, M., Eid, M. (eds) The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58763-9_4

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