Sex differences in response inhibition in young children

Competence in inhibiting prepotent responses has been frequently shown to be higher in females than in males in both children and adults. However, not all the inhibitory tasks seem equally sensitive to sex at each age. We investigated sex differences in two developmentally appropriate inhibitory tasks, the EYT Go/No-go and the Shape School Inhibition Condition. Our sample consisted of 160 preschool children, 85 boys and 75 girls, ranging from 4 to 6 years old. Girls’ efficacy in inhibiting prepotent motor responses in the Go/No-go task was higher than boys’, but not in the verbal Shape School inhibition task. Sex differences in inhibitory tasks are discussed in light of the different task requirements.