Two types of inhibitory control: Predictive relations to social functioning

Abstract

The aim was to investigate two inhibitory concepts—executive inhibition and inhibition to the unfamiliar. The relation between these two phenomena was studied as well as how they, alone or in combination, are related to the development of hyperactivity, social anxiety, and social competence. The results showed that there was a low, positive relation between these two inhibitory phenomena at age 5 ( n 1/4 151). Further, both types of inhibition were negatively related to nonclinical levels of hyperactivity in school 3 years later. Inhibition to the unfamiliar was also negatively related to social initiative, and positively related to social anxiety. Using nonlinear analyses, only the combination of high levels of both types of inhibition showed significant predictions to social anxiety. The results also indicated that high inhibition to the unfamiliar might have a protective role in the development of hyperactivity as low executive inhibition was related to hyperactivity, except when in combination with high inhibition to the unfamiliar. Regarding predictions to social competence, the results showed that the combination of high levels of both types of inhibition was associated with low social initiative, although this effect was only significant at the level of tendency.