Exploring the relationships between executive functions and personality dimensions in the light of "Embodied Cognition" theory: A study on a sample of 130 subjects

The Executive Functions and the dimensions of the personality seem to have numerous points of convergence both on the psychological and neurobiological sides. Current studies interpret this relationship as a linear concatenation that starts from a damage of the prefrontal cortical areas, produces a deficit of the executive functions and finally evolves towards the development of pathological character traits. In an "enacted cognition" perspective, the relationship between executive functions and personality should be interpreted according to a circular causality model that appears ecologically more realistic and adequate to empirical data. The present study evaluates executive functions and personality dimensions in a sample of 130 subjects using the Frontal Assessment Battery, the Temperament and Character Inventory, respectively. The results show that subjects with low empathic and emotional propensities, detected through 9 items of Temperament and Character Inventory, while not presenting any kind of disturbances, show Executive Functions that are not efficient or even inadequate. These data are not easily explained according to the classic linear model and seem to confirm the circular perspective proposed by the "embodied cognition" theory. However, an expansion of the sample is essential to obtain confirmation of the data that emerged.