The Impact of Parental Alienation on Children’s Executive Function Skills Brief overview of parental alienation, Why the relationship is important: Parental alienation refers to a dynamic in which one parent, often during or after a divorce or separation, attempts to negatively influence the child's perception and relationship with the other parent. It involves a persistent and unwarranted campaign to denigrate and undermine the alienated parent, leading the child to reject or harbor negative feelings towards that parent. Parental alienation can involve various behaviors, such as making derogatory remarks, limiting contact, manipulating information, or instilling fear or guilt in the child. What is executive function? Executive dysfunction refers to difficulties in the cognitive processes involved in self-regulation, problem-solving, decision-making, and goal-directed behavior. These processes are primarily governed by the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Executive functions include...