His research has helped shape the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience regarding the development of executive function (i.e., conscious self-control of thought, action, and emotion).
In 2007, Zelazo moved to the University of Minnesota, where he holds the Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professorship in the Institute of Child Development, and is co-director (with Stephanie M. Carlson) of the Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab.
[1] He also co-founded (2004) and served as co-director of a child development research center at Southwest University in Chongqing, China, until 2012.
[7] His work has generated a number of influential ideas, including the "Cognitive Complexity & Control Theory",[8] the notion that executive function depends, in part, on the ability to use complex, higher-order rules (formulated in self-directed speech); "Levels of Consciousness",[9] the notion that conscious control develops through a series of levels characterized by greater degrees of reflection; the "Iterative Reprocessing Model",[10] which posits that reflection occurs when information is reprocessed via neural circuits involving the prefrontal cortex; the "Hierarchical Competing Systems Model" of the early emergence of executive function;[11] and the importance of the distinction between more “cool,” cognitive aspects of executive function vs. more “hot,” emotional aspects.
Zelazo also has made major methodological contributions to the study of executive function, including the "Dimensional Change Card Sorting Task",[13] which demonstrated a striking developmental shift from age 3 to 5 years in rule-based reasoning and self-control, and has become a leading behavioral assessment of executive function for preschool children.