Understanding children with Behavioral Inhibition

Abstract

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperament trait characterized by extreme fear in the face of novelty. BI has been associated with the development of mental disorders. However, there is a lack of research examining the socioemotional and behavioral characteristics of behaviorally inhibited children both in family and school settings. For a more comprehensive and in-depth overview of children’s behavior in each of these contexts, this study has collected data from both parents (mother and father – family setting) and from teachers (educational environment). The sample consisted of 109 children aged between four and six years old. Multi-informant approach was used: all fathers, mothers and teachers completed both the Preschool Behavioral Inhibition Scales, the Child Behavior Checklist for parents and teachers, and the Behavior Assessment System for Children and Adolescents. Our findings revealed that children classified as BI exhibit less socioemotional and behavioral adjustments than their uninhibited peers both in family and school contexts. Further, the shyness variable seemed to be strongly associated with behavioral inhibition, regardless of informant and context.

Behavioral Inhibition in Childhood as A Risk Factor for Development of Social Anxiety Disorder: A Longitudinal Study

“…It can be administered on an individual or group basis to assess children at the baseline and 2 year follow-up, lasting for approximately 5 minutes. The scale has good internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity to be administered to parents and teachers [19,43]. Scoring within the highest 85th percentile on the PBIS was adopted as the inclusion criteria, as suggested by literature [3][4][5][6].…”