Mapping the development of response inhibition in young children using a modified day-night task.

Response inhibition was examined in 40 children 3½ to 8 years of age using a modified day-night task. Performance in a neutral condition explained variance in congruent and incongruent conditions, indicating that age-related improvements in these latter conditions were partly mediated by working memory and processing speed. After controlling for neutral performance, age did not explain variance in congruent performance but explained variance in incongruent performance. These findings indicate that the associative strength between pictures and labels used in the task is age invariant and that older children are better than younger children at inhibiting responses to these associations.