Empowering Exceptional Children

Empowering Exceptional Children

Predicting Risky Decision-Making Based on Response Inhibition and Working Memory in 5- to 6-Year-Old Boys

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
seyed pouria pourmohamad 1
Ali Akbar Arjmandnia 2
Mohsen Rafikhah 3
1 Master in Psychology and Exceptional Children Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ceciranj.2026.552379.1994
Abstract
The present study aimed to examine the extent to which boys’ risky decision-making performance can be predicted by response inhibition and working memory systems. This study used a correlational design. The statistical population comprised all 5- to 6-year-old boys attending schools in Babol County during the 2024–2025 academic year. The participants included 100 children who were selected via multistage cluster sampling based on the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; 2002), the Stop-Signal Task (SST; 2019), the Go/No-Go Task (GNGT; 2006), and the Working Memory Test Battery for Children—Huff-Bach (WMTB; 2017/1396). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses in SPSS-27. The findings indicated significant negative associations between working memory and response inhibition with risky decision-making. The results further showed that prepotent response inhibition significantly predicted children’s risky decision-making (P<.001), whereas ongoing response inhibition and working memory did not significantly contribute to the prediction of risky decision-making. These findings suggest that when decision-making occurs impulsively and under motivational pressure, response control—particularly the inhibition of prepotent responses—serves as a primary predictor of risk-related behaviors. Accordingly, these results may inform the development of educational and preventive programs aimed at strengthening inhibitory control and reducing children’s risky behaviors.
Keywords
Boys
Response Inhibition
Risky Decision-Making
Working Memory
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 10 October 2025
  • Revise Date 01 June 2026
  • Accept Date 03 June 2026