A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN INHIBITION

Our thesis is that differences in the efficiency of inhibition and int erference sensitivity contribute to individual differences in cognitiv e processing. We argue that inhibition models from the developmental l iterature may also be applied to the study of individual differences. We review evidence from a variety of psychological literatures that su ggests that inhibitory efficiency varies among people. This review exa mines inhibition in individuals differing in frontal-lobe functioning, including individuals with attention-deficit disorder, conduct disord er, psychopathology, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia; and inhibition in individuals differing in cognitive skills or abilit ies, including individuals with mental retardation, reading and learni ng disabilities, giftedness and creativity, various cognitive styles, and interference sensitivity in everyday life. Following our review, w e discuss the role of inhibition in models of cognitive development, a nd how inhibitory efficiency might be related to working memory capaci ty, strategy use, and knowledge. Finally, we speculate on the underlyi ng causes of inhibitory processes, the cognitive benefits of inefficie nt inhibition, and inhibition as a stable component of intelligence.