Assessing inhibitory control in kindergarten children: Validity of integrating response accuracy and response latency

Assessing inhibitory control in young children poses a challenge because of its rapid and non-linear development. This study examined the validity of integrating response accuracy and latency through a two-factor model, based on the data of 271 children who completed a computerized inhibitory control task. Although integrating response accuracy and latency slightly improved measurement precision, multigroup analyses of younger and older children showed inconsistent associations between response accuracy and latency if response latencies from incorrect responses were not excluded. A time-on-task analysis revealed that the extent of the accuracy gain by taking more time depended on the individual’s skill level. The validity of task performance as an indicator of inhibitory control was highest when response accuracy was the primary determinant of the inhibitory control score and response latency was only considered after the child had surpassed an accuracy threshold to further improve the score. These findings suggest that integrating response accuracy and latency into a single score should only be performed for children who can maintain high accuracy levels despite giving fast responses.