Unpacking response inhibition in animals – part 1: a conceptual framework

Response inhibition - the ability to suppress or stop actions - is crucial for adaptive behaviour across species. The concept of response inhibition has traditionally been regarded as a unidimensional psychological ability. However, there is an increasing recognition of its multifaceted nature. In Part 1 of this study, we present a conceptual framework to explain variability across tasks and contexts. We conceptualise response inhibition as a race between a ‘go’ runner and a ‘stop’ runner, with both runners influenced by stimulus type, stimulus timing, and action type. To illustrate how task-specific factors shape response inhibition, we apply this framework to five response inhibition tasks: the stop-signal, stop-change, detour barrier, A-not-B, and thwarting tasks. Our framework highlights the need for precise methods and careful interpretation of response inhibition measures and provides a basis for nuanced investigations of response inhibition control and its ecological and evolutionary significance. In the accompanying Part 2, we use this framework to test predictions about correlations between different measures of response inhibition.