---
title: "Miyake's Model | Intro to Brain and Behavior"
description: "Miyake's Model separates executive function into updating, shifting, and inhibition, showing how the frontal lobe supports flexible, goal-directed behavior."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/miyakes-model"
type: "key-term"
subject: "Intro to Brain and Behavior"
unit: "Unit 11"
---

# Miyake's Model | Intro to Brain and Behavior

## Definition

Miyake's Model is a framework in Intro to Brain and Behavior that breaks executive function into updating, shifting, and inhibition. It explains how the frontal lobe supports controlled, flexible thinking.

## What It Is

Miyake's Model is a way of breaking executive function into three linked parts: updating, shifting, and inhibition. In Intro to Brain and Behavior, you use it to describe how the brain keeps goals in mind, changes strategies, and stops wrong responses when a task gets hard.

Updating is the part of executive function that keeps working memory current. You are not just holding information, you are replacing old information with new, relevant information. That matters in tasks like mental arithmetic, following changing directions, or remembering the most recent rule in a lab exercise.

Shifting is the ability to move between tasks, rules, or mental sets. If a professor changes the instructions halfway through a problem, shifting is what lets you stop using the old rule and apply the new one. It is one reason cognitive flexibility feels so different from simple memory, because you are changing the way you are thinking, not just what you are thinking about.

Inhibition is the ability to suppress a dominant or automatic response. That could mean not blurting out an answer, ignoring a distraction, or resisting the urge to apply the first solution that comes to mind. In brain and behavior terms, inhibition is often tied to self-control and attention control, especially when a task creates conflict between a tempting response and the correct one.

Miyake's Model matters because it shows executive function is not one single skill. The three parts overlap, but they can also be studied separately, which helps psychologists test which brain areas and behaviors are involved when someone has trouble with planning, attention, or flexible thinking. This fits well with frontal lobe discussion, since the prefrontal cortex helps coordinate these control processes during complex behavior.

## Why It Matters

Miyake's Model gives you a clean way to talk about executive control without treating it like one blurry ability. In Intro to Brain and Behavior, that matters because a lot of real behavior problems are not just about memory or intelligence. They are about whether someone can keep goal-relevant information active, switch strategies when the situation changes, and block out a strong but wrong response.

That makes the model useful for explaining everyday examples and clinical patterns. A person with frontal lobe damage might struggle with one part more than another, which helps show why executive dysfunction can look uneven. Someone may be able to hold information in mind but still have trouble resisting impulses, or they may understand the rules but keep getting stuck on the old one.

The model also gives you a better vocabulary for research and testing. Instead of saying a person has "bad executive function," you can ask which component is weak and what task would reveal it. That is the kind of precision psychologists look for when they use cognitive tasks, compare brain regions, or interpret behavior after injury or disease.

## Connections

### Executive Functions

Miyake's Model is one way to organize executive functions into smaller parts. If executive functions are the broader control system, Miyake's three components show what that system does during planning, attention, and self-monitoring. This connection is helpful when you need to explain why one person can do well on a simple task but struggle when rules or distractions are added.

### Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe, especially prefrontal areas, is the brain region most associated with the control processes Miyake's Model describes. When you see executive-function problems after frontal damage, the model helps you separate which control skill is affected. It gives you a way to connect behavior back to brain structure instead of treating frontal lobe damage as one general effect.

### [Cognitive Flexibility](/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/cognitive-flexibility)

Cognitive flexibility is closely tied to the shifting part of Miyake's Model. Both involve changing a mental set when the task demands it, but shifting is the more specific executive-function term. If a question describes switching rules, adapting to new instructions, or moving between categories, cognitive flexibility is often the behavior you are seeing.

### [Baddeley's Model](/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/baddeleys-model)

Baddeley's Model focuses on working memory structure, while Miyake's Model focuses on executive control processes. They overlap because updating uses working memory, but they are not the same framework. This comparison helps when a prompt asks whether the problem is holding information in mind or controlling how that information is used.

## On the AP Exam

A quiz question or short-answer prompt might give you a behavior and ask which executive function it shows. If the person keeps replacing old information with new task rules, that is updating. If they need to switch from one sorting rule to another, that is shifting. If they resist a distraction or stop an automatic response, that is inhibition.

You can also use Miyake's Model in case-based questions about frontal lobe injury, dementia, or attention problems. The move is to name the executive function, explain the behavior, and connect it to control from the frontal lobe. If the prompt compares two tasks, look for whether one needs more switching, more inhibition, or more updating of working memory.

## Miyake's Model vs Baddeley's Model

These two models both show up in memory and cognition units, but they describe different things. Baddeley's Model explains working memory parts, like the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad. Miyake's Model explains executive functions, the control processes that manage goal-directed behavior. If the question is about storing and manipulating information, think Baddeley. If it is about switching, stopping, or updating responses, think Miyake.

## Key Takeaways

- Miyake's Model breaks executive function into updating, shifting, and inhibition.
- Updating keeps working memory current by replacing outdated information with new information.
- Shifting lets you switch rules, tasks, or mental sets when the situation changes.
- Inhibition helps you stop distractions, impulses, or automatic responses that do not fit the goal.
- The model is useful because it shows executive control as multiple related skills, not one single ability.

## FAQs

### What is Miyake's Model in Intro to Brain and Behavior?

It is a framework for executive function that divides control processes into updating, shifting, and inhibition. In this course, you use it to explain how the brain manages attention, working memory, and flexible behavior, especially through frontal lobe systems.

### How is Miyake's Model different from Baddeley's Model?

Baddeley's Model explains the structure of working memory, while Miyake's Model explains the control processes that guide behavior. They are related because executive function uses working memory, but they answer different questions. If a prompt is about memory storage, think Baddeley; if it is about control and flexibility, think Miyake.

### What does shifting mean in Miyake's Model?

Shifting is the ability to switch between tasks, rules, or mental sets. You see it when someone changes from one strategy to another or adapts to new instructions without getting stuck on the old rule. It is closely related to cognitive flexibility.

### How do you identify inhibition in a brain and behavior example?

Look for a person stopping an automatic, distracting, or impulsive response. If someone resists a temptation, ignores a distraction, or holds back a prepotent answer, that points to inhibition. It is often the easiest of the three to spot in scenario questions.

## Related Study Guides

- [11.1 Executive functions and frontal lobe](/introduction-brain-behavior/unit-11/executive-functions-frontal-lobe/study-guide/dN2YCG1IHtAvWK1A)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)

## Structured Data

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/miyakes-model#resource","name":"Miyake's Model | Intro to Brain and Behavior","url":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/miyakes-model","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/miyakes-model#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:22:29.903Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"Intro to Brain and Behavior Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://fiveable.me/editorial#content-team","name":"Fiveable Content Team","url":"https://fiveable.me/editorial","parentOrganization":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/#organization"},"member":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda DoAmaral","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/adoamaral"]},{"@type":"Person","name":"Becky Bahr","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-bahr-b52743132"]}]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/miyakes-model#term","name":"Miyake's Model","description":"Miyake's Model is a framework in Intro to Brain and Behavior that breaks executive function into updating, shifting, and inhibition. It explains how the frontal lobe supports controlled, flexible thinking.","url":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms/miyakes-model","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"Intro to Brain and Behavior Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is Miyake's Model in Intro to Brain and Behavior?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It is a framework for executive function that divides control processes into updating, shifting, and inhibition. In this course, you use it to explain how the brain manages attention, working memory, and flexible behavior, especially through frontal lobe systems."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How is Miyake's Model different from Baddeley's Model?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Baddeley's Model explains the structure of working memory, while Miyake's Model explains the control processes that guide behavior. They are related because executive function uses working memory, but they answer different questions. If a prompt is about memory storage, think Baddeley; if it is about control and flexibility, think Miyake."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What does shifting mean in Miyake's Model?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Shifting is the ability to switch between tasks, rules, or mental sets. You see it when someone changes from one strategy to another or adapts to new instructions without getting stuck on the old rule. It is closely related to cognitive flexibility."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you identify inhibition in a brain and behavior example?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Look for a person stopping an automatic, distracting, or impulsive response. If someone resists a temptation, ignores a distraction, or holds back a prepotent answer, that points to inhibition. It is often the easiest of the three to spot in scenario questions."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Intro to Brain and Behavior","item":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Key Terms","item":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/key-terms"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Unit 11","item":"https://fiveable.me/introduction-brain-behavior/unit-11"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Miyake's Model"}]}]}
```