محسن رفیع خواه

Inhibitory control, as a fundamental component of executive functions, plays a crucial role in children’s cognitive, behavioral, and social development. This non-experimental study aimed to examine the developmental trajectory of inhibitory control in boys aged 5 to 9 years from Babol city. The sample comprised 175 boys (aged 5 years to 9 years 11 months), selected from the population of boys in Babol's kindergartens and elementary schools using a multistage cluster sampling procedure. The assessment battery included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Flanker task (measuring interference control), and the Stop-Signal Task (measuring response inhibition). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used for data analysis. The results indicated that children’s performance on both inhibitory tasks improved gradually with age. However, post-hoc comparisons revealed significant developmental improvements in the Stop-Signal Task specifically between the 5–6 and 7–8 year age groups. Polynomial trend analyses showed a partially nonlinear trajectory for stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), suggesting that the maturation of motor inhibition may not follow a strictly linear pattern. Overall, the findings demonstrate a clear developmental progression in inhibitory control while indicating that its different domains may follow distinct maturational trajectories. The results underscore the importance of using multiple, domain-specific measures in assessment and highlight the need to consider developmental characteristics when designing cognitive and self-regulatory interventions.