The development of inhibitory ability on 7- to 12-year-old children: a stroop study / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective Inhibitory ability plays an important role in individuals' development process.It has close relationship with intelligence and other cognitive ability.This study aims to explore the development of inhibitory ability on 7- to 12-year-old children.Methods A sample of 187 children aged from 7 to 12 were divided into three age-groups7- to 8-year-old,9- to 10-year-old and 11-to 12-year-old.They perfonned the Stroop Color and Word Test and their reaction time and accuracy were recorded.Results Compared with incongruent trials ( ( 801.88 ± 344.05 ) ms ),the reaction time on congruent trials ( ( 743.16 ± 227.20ms ) of all the children was shorter( F ( 1,181 ) =7.29,P ＜ 0.0 1 ).The accuracy of congruent trials (0.94 ± 0.11 ) was higher than that of incongruent trials (0.90 ± 0.13 ) (F ( 1,181 ) =28.41,P ＜ 0.001 ).The reaction time difference of 7- to 8 -year-old children ( 117.81 ± 396.68 ) ms was longer than that of 9- to 10-year-old children ( ( 24.70 ± 177.65 ) ms) (P ＜0.05).There was no significant difference between the reaction time of difference 9- to 10-year-old children and 11- to 12-year-old children ( (32.44 ± 120.07 ) ms) (P ＞ 0.05 ).The gender effect was not significant (F ( 1,181 )=1.69,P＞ 0.05).Condusion The inhibitory ability increases from 7 to 12-year-old.The ability of 9-to 12-year-old children is reasonably stable.There is no gender effect on children's inhibitory ability.