title: Examining methodological variation in response inhibition: The effects of outcome measures and task characteristics on age-related differences.
abstract: This study addressed methodological issues common to developmental studies on response inhibition. Age-related differences were investigated using two Stroop-like tasks with different levels of complexity and comparing different outcome measures in a sample of 340 children and adolescents aged 7-15 years. First, speed and accuracy of task performance were examined; the results showing that improvement in speed continued until age 13 in both the basic naming task and the two inhibition tasks. Improvement in accuracy was less consistent and continued until age 9 or 13 years. Second, two different algorithms were employed to control for the effects of basic processes in inhibition tasks. The difference algorithm indicated age-related differences similar to those for speed. The ratio algorithm, however, suggested earlier deceleration of development of response inhibition at 9 or 11 years of age. Factors related to the cognitive requirements and presented stimuli also had an effect on the results. The present findings shed light on the inconsistencies in the developmental studies of response inhibition and demonstrated that the selection of outcome measures and task characteristics are critical because they affect the way development is depicted.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Behavioural Sciences , University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klenberg
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Närhi
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkman
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hokkanen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011930:Reaction Time; D057190:Stroop Test; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Development; Executive functions; Inhibition; Ratio score; School age; Stroop task