Developmental changes in inhibitory processing: Evidence from psychophysiological measures.

Two major theories of the development of inhibitory functioning are discussed that assume a close relation between inhibitory ability and the maturation of the frontal lobes. It is argued that a psychophysiological approach may add considerably to the study of developmental change in inhibitory processes. A selective review was presented of studies examining heart rate and brain potential measures obtained in a variety of paradigms supposedly showing inhibitory control. The results of these studies are discussed within the framework proposed by D. T. Stuss et al, 1995. The authors conclude that the supervisory-system framework provides a heuristic way for examining developmental changes in inhibitory processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved