Pavlov divided people into four neural types: flexible type, quiet type, excitatory type and inhibitory type based on intensity, balance and flexibility of the neural activity process. Individuals of different neural types have different physiological characteristics, and neural type also affects individual’s behaviors and cognitive processing patterns. However, the relationship between neural type and cognitive processing is unclear. The focus of our research is the relationship between neural type and executive function.

Before the normal experiments,1263 college students were tested using 80.8 Neural Type Test Scale. 20 students per each type (flexible type, quiet type, excitatory type and inhibitory type) were randomly selected from the subjects (80 subjects in total). The 80 subjects were asked to do inhibition (Go/No-go paradigm), updating (N-back paradigm) and shifting tasks (digit-letter shifting paradigm). In inhibition task, a 4 (neural type, between-subject variable: flexible type vs. quiet type vs. excitatory type vs. inhibitory type) × 3 (task type, within-subject variable: baseline task vs. simple inhibition task vs. complex inhibition task) mixed design was adopted. In updating task, a 4 (neural type, between-subject variable: flexible type vs. quiet type vs. excitatory type vs. inhibitory type) × 4 (task difficulty, within-subject variable: 1-back vs.2-back vs.3-back vs.4-back) mixed design was adopted. In shifting task (digit-letter shifting paradigm), a one-way ANOVA was adopted, with neural type as the independent variable, and the switching cost as the dependent variable.

The results revealed that: (1) In inhibition task, the main effect of neural type was significant in reaction time. Quiet type group was significantly smaller than that of excitatory type group (p<.05), and the accuracy of quiet type group was also higher than that of excitatory type group (p<.01). In accuracy and reaction time, the main effect of task type was significant. The interaction between neural type and task type was not significant. (2) In updating task, the main effect of neural type and task difficulty were significant in accuracy. Excitatory type group was borderline significantly higher than that of inhibitory type group (p=.06). The interaction between neural type and task difficulty was not significant. The main effect of neural type and task difficulty were significant in reaction time. Flexible type group was significantly higher than that of quiet type group (p<.05). The difference between excitatory type and inhibitory type group was not significant. The difference between quiet type and excitatory type was not significant either. (3) In shifting task, the main effect of neural type was significant. There was significant difference between flexible type and quiet type subjects (p<.05).

In a few words, the present study concludes that the neural type shows different relationship with executive function: (1) Inhibition ability improves with increased balance of neural activity, independent of the intensity and flexibility of neural activity.; (2) The increase in the intensity of neural activity is related to the improvement of updating function, and has nothing to do with the balance and flexibility of neural activity; (3) The intensity and balance of neural activity have no effect on the shifting function, while the flexibility of neural activity has a significant impact on it: when the flexibility of neural activity increases, it becomes stronger.