This study investigates the cognitive processes of novice students in science learning, with a specific focus on how inhibitory control is employed to overcome a common student misconception about the buoyant force in liquid, which leads to the belief that "the greater the depth an object is in a liquid, the greater the buoyant force it experiences." Utilizing a negative priming paradigm integrated with eye-tracking technology, the research examines the role of inhibitory control in facilitating conceptual change among novice learners. The findings reveal that successful problem- solving in novices is contingent not only on the acquisition of scientific knowledge but also on the effective activation of inhibitory control over misconceptions. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated significant effects of student expertise levels and experimental conditions on reaction times, with novices exhibiting significantly longer reaction times compared to experts, indicative of lower inhibitory control ability. However, following targeted intervention, novices' average reaction times progressively decreased, approaching those of experts, suggesting an improvement in inhibitory control. Additionally, eye movement data analysis revealed distinct differences in information processing strategies between novice and expert students. Novices frequently engaged in reviewing and comparing information across multiple areas during problem solving, whereas experts exhibited more efficient information processing, rapidly identifying and suppressing misconceptions. The eye-tracking data provided further insights into the cognitive processes and behavioral patterns of novices across different intervention phases, highlighting the dynamic interplay between inhibitory control and conceptual learning. These findings underscore the critical role of inhibitory control in overcoming misconceptions and offer implications for the design of targeted instructional interventions.