Controlo inibitório em crianças medido através da tarefa Stroop Animal

Abstract

Recent interest on executive functions in children has led to the development of tasks specifically designed to measure it. Stroop tasks adapted for children are an example. The Animal Stroop task devised by Wright, Waterman, Prescott, and Murdoch-Eaton (2003) solves limitations of previous Stroop paradigms for children and provides a sensitive measure of inhibitory control during childhood. We present results in this task from Portuguese children and adults grouped by age: 5/6-, 7/8-, 10/12-year olds and young adults. A significant improvement in accuracy and reduction in reaction times was observed with increasing age in all conditions, more markedly so in the incongruent condition. Lower accuracy and increased reaction times in the incongruent condition relative to the control one revealed that 5/6- and 7/8-year-old children have less inhibitory control than do 10/12-year olds and young adults. These results allow us to characterize the developmental pattern of the Stroop effect in this task, and show that it is a useful tool for the measurement of inhibitory control in young children (less than 10 years of age). (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]