Response inhibition - the suppression of a prepotent or ongoing action - is an executive function central to the regulation of behaviour. Response inhibition can be assessed in the laboratory using the Go/No-go or Stop-Signal tasks which both assess the capacity to withhold an inappropriate response. In the Go/No-go task, participants are required to respond rapidly to Go stimuli but to withhold that response upon No-go stimuli. In the Stop-Signal task, participants are required to respond to Go stimuli but to withhold the response when an auditory stop signal occurs subsequent to the Go stimulus.
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Hegarty, B., Rushby, J. A., Johnstone, S. J., Kelly, P. & Smith, J. (2012). Does training on inhibitory tasks influence alcohol consumption and attitudes?. Drug And Alcohol Review, 31 (1), 32-32.