Review of modern concepts and approaches to the study and assessment of cognitive flexibility

Authors

  • Alexandra Shuripa Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia
  • Daria Tkachenko Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54359/ps.v19i106.2080

Abstract

 

The aim of this review is to analyze the concept of cognitive flexibility. The paper examines its role in maintaining psychological well-being and in the development of mental disorders. The effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive flexibility is reviewed, along with methodological challenges arising from the absence of a unified conceptual model of this construct. Existing methods for assessing cognitive flexibility are systematically reviewed, and the assumption of their interchangeable use is examined and rejected. The review compares theoretical approaches in which cognitive flexibility is conceptualized as a skill, a general property of cognitive functioning, a personality trait, a component of creativity, and a characteristic of mental processes. It is concluded that the study of cognitive flexibility should be grounded in a clear conceptual framework and should consider the limitations inherent in each assessment method.

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Author Biographies

  • Alexandra Shuripa, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia

    Postgraduate student, Faculty of Psychology, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, 82 Vernadskogo ave., 119571, Moscow, Russia.

  • Daria Tkachenko, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow, Russia

    Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of General Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, 82 Vernadskogo ave., 119571, Moscow, Russia.

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Published

2026-05-04

Issue

Section

Overviews

How to Cite

Shuripa, A., & Tkachenko, D. (2026). Review of modern concepts and approaches to the study and assessment of cognitive flexibility. Psychological Studies, 19(106), 4. https://doi.org/10.54359/ps.v19i106.2080