ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the relation between hot and cool executive function (EF) in the context of research on theory of mind (ToM) and EF. The relation between ToM and EF is now well established, although the nature of the relation remains a matter of debate. It argues that ToM is one manifestation of EF, mainly hot EF, as expressed in a particular content domain. Although executive function (EF) can be understood as a domain-general functional construct, a distinction may be made between the relatively hot affective aspects of EF associated with ventral and medial regions of prefrontal cortex (VM-PFC), including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the more purely cognitive, cool aspects associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Traditionally, research on EF in human beings has focused almost exclusively on cool EF, using measures such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Tower of London.
