Emerging Inhibitory Capacity

Emerging inhibitory capacity is demonstrated in this video. A mother gives her twins some pieces of chocolate, then asks them to wait to eat it until she comes back.

In this video, both children are working hard to inhibit their impulse to eat the chocolate right away. Since their inhibitory capacity is just developing, they have to use all kinds of other strategies to comply with their mother’s request to wait. For instance, they repeat what the mother said about not eating it yet, they look at each other for support, they look away from the chocolate to decrease the temptation, they pretend to eat it and the little boy even puts the chocolate in his mouth then takes it out. They are able to comply with their mother’s request, but just barely!

It is helpful for parents to understand that the development of inhibitory capacity starts around the first year of life and has a several year maturational process, which is one reason why formal schooling throughout the world doesn’t usually start until age 5-6, when children can inhibit their impulses and reactions and tolerate the many cognitive and emotional demands of the classroom.