The Relationship Between Inhibition of Motor Response and Cognitive Performance*

Abstract

Summary. Tests of motor inhibition, cognition, socio‐economic status, psychological control and dogmatism were administered to a sample of grade 8 students (average age 14 years) so that two hypotheses could be tested: firstly, that the capacity for motor inhibition was correlated with level of cognitive performance, and secondly, that such a correlation could be explained in terms of child rearing practices characteristic of parents of relatively superior socioeconomic status, which involve the positive reinforcement of motor inhibition, the presence of positive reinforcement being signified by a negative correlation between inhibition ability and dogmatism. The first hypothesis was supported, upper inhibition groups showing a consistent and occasionally significant superiority in cognitive performance over lower inhibition groups. The second hypothesis was not supported, the correlation between dogmatism and control retaining its significance and even its magnitude, despite the fact that the influence of socio‐economic status had been partialled out. An explanation was attempted of the significant correlation between inhibition capacity and score on dogmatism.