stopgedrag

Stopgedrag (Dutch for stop behavior) refers to the ability to halt or cancel an action in response to a stop cue. It is a key component of inhibitory control within executive function and is studied in psychology and neuroscience to understand how people and animals regulate ongoing behavior.

Neural mechanisms: Stopping engages a network that includes the right inferior frontal gyrus, pre-supplementary motor area, and basal ganglia circuits, particularly the subthalamic nucleus. The fast “hyperdirect” pathway from frontal regions to the STN is thought to mediate rapid motor inhibition, while indirect pathways help regulate movement initiation and stopping strategies. Context and motivation can modulate the strength and timing of stopping.

Measurement and tasks: The stop-signal task (SST) is the standard paradigm for assessing stop behavior. In SST, participants perform a go task with occasional stop signals; the Stop-Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) provides an estimate of the time required to inhibit a response. Go/no-go tasks and other variants are also used to study inhibitory control and stopping efficiency.

Development and clinical relevance: Inhibitory control develops through childhood and adolescence, with stopping performance improving over time. Impairments in stop behavior are reported in ADHD, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autism spectrum conditions, among others, and can predict impulsive actions. Interventions such as cognitive training, mindfulness, physical activity, and certain medications can influence stopping performance in some populations.

Context and considerations: Stopgedrag is influenced by speed-accuracy trade-offs, task demands, attention, and motivation. It reflects both motor inhibition and higher-order control processes, and researchers often study it to understand everyday impulse control and related disorders. See also: stop-signal task, inhibitory control.