Inhibition – How Does It Work?

According to EF researcher Dr. Russell A. Barkley, inhibition codevelops with self-monitoring, as

“..neither makes any sense in the absence of the other. One cannot inhibit an automatic action if one is not aware of or attending to his or her own behavior, and there is little point to self- monitoring more automatic behavior if it cannot be inhibited or interrupted so as to make it more consistent with a longer-term goal.”1

Inhibitory control can also be challenging to separate from working memory, and it is thought that in some cases “working memory deficits are partly underlying the reported difficulties with inhibitory control”2

Relatedly, as the amount of working memory resources used (cognitive load) increases, inhibitory control appears to decrease.

As cognitive load increases, the executive control of attention is reduced…, resulting in a diminished ability to exert inhibitory control over extraneous, irrelevant processing and information. Consequently, focus is lost, the mind wanders, and the task is abandoned. 3

Sources:

  1. 1.
    Antshel KM, Hier BO, Barkley RA. Executive Functioning Theory and ADHD. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds. Handbook of Executive Functioning. Springer; 2014:567.
  2. 2.
    Geurts HM, de Vries M, van den Bergh SFWM. Executive Functioning Theory and Autism. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds. Handbook of Executive Functioning. Springer; 2014:567.
  3. 3.
    Dehn MJ. Supporting and Strengthening Working Memory in the Classroom to Enhance Executive Functioning. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds. Handbook of Executive Functioning. Springer; 2014:567.