A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN INHIBITION

Our thesis is that differences in the efficiency of inhibition and interference sensitivity contribute to individual differences in cognitive processing. We argue that inhibition models from the developmental literature may also be applied to the study of individual differences. We review evidence from a variety of psychological literatures that suggests that inhibitory efficiency varies among people. This review examines inhibition in individuals differing in frontal-lobe functioning, including individuals with attention-deficit disorder, conduct disorder, psychopathology, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia; and inhibition in individuals differing in cognitive skills or abilities, including individuals with mental retardation, reading and learning disabilities, giftedness and creativity, various cognitive styles, and interference sensitivity in everyday life. Following our review, we discuss the role of inhibition in models of cognitive development, and how inhibitory efficiency might be related to working memory capacity, strategy use, and knowledge. Finally, we speculate on the underlying causes of inhibitory processes, the cognitive benefits of inefficient inhibition, and inhibition as a stable component of intelligence.