Objective: Research about the impact of acute stress on inhibitory control remains a contentious topic, with no consensus reached thus far. This study aims to investigate the effects of acute stress on an individual’s inhibitory control abilities and to elucidate the underlying neural mechanisms by analyzing resting state electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Methods: We recruited 32 male college students through participant recruitment information to undergo within-subject experiments under stress and non-stress conditions. Physiological indicators (cortisol and heart rate), self-report questionnaires, and behavioral data from the Stroop task were collected before, during, and after the experiment. Additionally, a five-minute eyes closed resting state EEG data collection was conducted during the Stroop task before. Results: (1) Acute stress led to a reduction in the conflict effect during the participants’ Stroop task in individuals. (2) Stress resulted in an increase in the power of the beta in the resting state EEG. (3) Acute stress caused an increase in the duration of class D and an increase in the transition probabilities from classes C and B to class D in the microstates of the resting state EEG. (4) Acute stress leads to an increase in beta power values in individuals’ resting state EEGs, which is significantly negatively correlated with the reduction of the conflict effect in the Stroop task under stress. Conclusions: Acute stress can enhance individuals’ attentional level, thereby promoting inhibitory control performance.

Inhibitory control, as an essential cognitive ability, affects the development of higher cognitive functions. Rhythmic perceptual stimulation has been used to improve cognitive abilities. It is unclear, however, whether it can be used to improve inhibitory control. This study used the Go/NoGo task and the Stroop task to assess various levels of inhibitory control using rhythmic audio-visual stimuli as the stimulus mode. Sixty subjects were randomly divided into three groups to receive 6 Hz, 10 Hz, and white noise stimulation for 30 min. Two tasks were completed by each subject both before and after the stimulus. Before and after the task, closed-eye resting EEG data were collected. The results showed no differences in behavioral and EEG measures of the Go/NoGo task among the three groups. While both 6 Hz and 10 Hz audio-visual stimulation reduced the conflict effect in the Stroop task, only 6 Hz audio-visual stimulation improved the amplitude of the N2 component and decreased the conflict score. Although rhythmic audio-visual stimulation did not enhance response inhibition, it improved conflict inhibition.