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Inhibition, a component of executive functioning, is the cognitive ability to suppress Attention to irrelevant input and to focus on pertinent stimuli or information, and can sometimes be called inhibitory control. Inhibition is essential for Self-Regulation, enabling students to regulate their thoughts and actions. In fact, a hallmark of successful Self-Regulation is children's ability to actively inhibit impulses that are incompatible with their goals. This is one reason why Inhibition is very important for children's early success in school; it facilitates learning in the classroom by helping children follow classroom expectations and routines. It also plays a key role in problem solving and learning by supporting the ability to focus on information and goals for the task at hand.
Inhibition begins to develop around age three to four and continues to develop through adolescence. Inhibition occurs at the behavioral level, where responses are controlled, and the cognitive level, where Attention is focused on relevant information. However, it can be difficult to tease these apart since cognitive Inhibition promotes behavioral Inhibition. In addition, it is often suggested that Inhibitory control should be further broken down when thinking about how and what is being inhibited, and that these may develop differently. For instance:
While inhibitory strength is typically fully developed by around age five, research suggests that children's inhibitory endurance develops along with maturation of the brain and changes in strategy use over time. This protracted development can explain why children may have difficulty inhibiting an unwanted response over an extended period of time. This difficulty can result in frustration or feeling overwhelmed when working towards longer term goals. Educators can support inhibitory endurance through games that practice these skills, and discussing and modeling these skills.
Inhibition, like all executive functions, is susceptible to environmental influences including stressors such as Adverse Experiences, which can interfere with development and processing, and may cause academic and behavioral difficulties if not supported. Some students, including those with ADHD or learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, may show differences using inhibitory control to support their focus and learning due to differences in brain structure and patterns of development.
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