Executive abilities for spoken-word commands: Inhibiting conflicting responses in voice-tone classification by adolescents and adults

Abstract

The inhibition of responses prompted by conflicting laterality cues and response-mapping rules was studied while participants classified the voice-tone of word commands. Announced by the cue words /left/ or /right/, target word commands for impeding or instigating actions (e.g., /quit/ or /go/), spoken in stern or lenient tone, stimulated the left or right ear. Each trial presented a cue followed by a target (e.g., left-quit), and participants classified the target voice tone as lenient or stern with a left or right (or the reverse) response for impeding (or instigating) commands. Within a trial block, laterality-conflict conditions presented impeding or instigating words only and, on each trial, the cue and ear side were congruent or in conflict with the correct response side. Response-mapping conflict conditions presented impeding and instigating words within each trial block, and correct classification required adhering to the respective mapping. Without conflict, error percent was larger with instigating than impeding commands, and in adolescents than adults. With instigating commands, laterality conflict increased the errors in both groups but only in adolescents with impeding commands. Errors increased further with laterality and mapping conflict, especially in adolescents. The adolescent response inhibition is inferior to the adult. [Funded by ABMRF.]