Inhibitory Self-Control in Preschool Children.

Inhibitory self-control is proposed as a temperamental dimension. Soviet theory suggests that internal inhibition provides the basis for verbally regulated inhibi tion and is temperamentally determined. This relationship was investigated in 40 children aged 40 to 49 months. Significant correlations between performance on a measure of internal inhibition (spontaneous alternation) and two measures of verbally regulated inhibition (a pinball game and Simon-says) were found. Motor inhibition, measured with a drawing task, did not form part of the cluster. The cluster correlations are independent of age, although all measures show a large age effect. Age independence and generality across tasks suggest a temperamen tal basis for inhibitory self-control. Possible mechanisms are discussed.