Neuropsychological studies have shown differences in performance on inhibition tasks across age groups, and neuroimaging studies have highlighted increasing maturation into early adulthood of the frontal networks responsible for inhibitory control. The aims of the current study were to report developmentally sensitive response time and error data from healthy female children and adolescents on the Hayling test, and to explore the appropriateness of the adult-normed scaled score boundaries when applied to children and adolescents. Participants were female English speakers (mean age of 15.11, SD = 1.68 years, range of 11.92–17.67 years, mean IQ of 103.96, SD = 11.04). The sample was divided according to age and assessed on Section 1 (verbal initiation) and Section 2 (verbal inhibition) of the Hayling test. A significant overall difference was found between the four age groups on Section 1 time scaled scores. However, post hoc analyses revealed that the only significant effect was between the 11- to 12-year-olds and the 15-year-olds, with the younger group having longer response times. On Section 2, there were no significant differences between the age groups in raw or scaled response times, nor were there significant differences in the number of errors made (raw or scaled score). The findings from the current study suggest limited support for evidence of a developmental trend in inhibition of prepotent responses.
The Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test assesses individuals' cognitive flexibility in terms of rule detection and attainment. It has been used to assess executive functioning in both clinical and nonclinical adult samples. However, little is currently known about the suitability of this task for younger populations. The current study therefore aimed to provide an initial exploration of this task's suitability for young people. Brixton responses from a healthy sample of children and adolescents were presented to investigate performance in both rule detection and rule attainment, respectively. A convenience sample of 72 female participants (Mage = 14.95 years, SD = 1.53 years, range = 11-17 years; MIQ = 103.76, SD = 10.81) was studied. The sample was divided according to age into four groups (11-12 years, 13-14 years, 15 years, and 16-17 years) to allow for developmental trajectory. No significant age performance differences were found. Small effect sizes between age groups lend support to the null findings. The current study suggests that the Brixton task norms are suitable for use with individuals aged 11 to 17 years old. However, normative work is still needed in this area, incorporating an adult sample for comparison, to comment upon the developmental trajectory specific to this task.
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