Inhibitory control and classroom behavior in kindergarten children

This study examined the association between direct measures of behavioral inhibition (inhibition of prepotent response, motor inhibition, and delayed gratification) and the classroom behavior of kindergarten children. Participants included 5-6 years old kindergarten students (N=64), 35 boys and 29 girls, at two public elementary schools. Behavioral inhibition was assessed with the Night and Day test, Yes or No test, Draw-A-Line-Slowly task and a measure of Delayed Gratification. Classroom behavior was measured using the Teacher-Child Rating Scale 2.1 (T-CRS 2.1). The results showed no significant gender differences in performance on behavioral inhibition tasks or teacher ratings of classroom behavior. Positive correlations were found between children’s performance on the measure of motor inhibition and teacher’s ratings on the social skills and tasks orientation. Positive correlations were also found between inhibition of prepotent response and teacher ratings on behavioral control and task orientation. This study did not find any significant correlations among the direct measures of behavioral inhibition. Out of the four behavioral inhibition tasks, motor inhibition was the only significant predictor of teacher ratings on task orientation and performance on one inhibition of prepotent response (Night and Day) was the only significant predictor of behavioral control in the classroom