Cognitive control and choice

Michele Buontempo

Chapter 12 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Neuroscience and Management, 2026, pp 43-45 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Cognitive control involves the brain's capacity to direct attention, sustain objectives, and modify actions when circumstances change. This complex function arises from coordinated neural activity linking frontal and subcortical regions that balance motivation, emotion, and reasoning. Rather than a single process, it represents an adaptive system that evaluates effort, outcomes, and competing goals to guide behaviour. Within organisational and leadership contexts, cognitive control can support composure under pressure, deliberate planning, and effective adjustment to shifting priorities. Understanding its neural foundations provides a scientific basis for developing training methods and decision frameworks that promote flexibility, focus, and strategic foresight.

Keywords: Emerging function; Goal maintenance; Interference control; Behavioural flexibility; Dopaminergic modulation; Monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332885
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