It is easy to see how this fear of the unfamiliar can set inhibited children
on a path toward shyness. Indeed, one in vestigation found inhibited chil-
dren were significantly more likely than uninhibited children to become shy
teenagers (Schwartz, Snidman, & Kagan, 1999). But what about after that?
Do inhibited children become inhibited adults? To answer this question,
one study measured inhibition in a group of children between the ages of8 and 12 (Gest, 1997). These same participants were tested again nearly 10
years later, just as they were entering early adulthood. The investigator found
an impressively high correlation of .57 between the two measures, indicatingthat quiet, apprehensive children retain many of these characteristics when
they become adults. Another study found that being an inhibited child was a
risk factor for adult anxiety disorders, especially social phobia (Biedermanet al., 2001).
Do these results mean inhibited children are sentenced to become shy
adults? Fortunately, the answer is “No.” Parents of inhibited children can do
their offspring a favor by becoming sensitive to the child ’s discomfort in unfa-
miliar settings and by teaching the child how to deal with new situations
and people. Research indicates that many business leaders, community work-
ers, and entertainers have learned to overcome their shyness and lead very
social lives.
Finally, although most of the research in this area has been focused on in-
hibited children, researchers also find that uninhibited children are susceptibleto their own set of potential problems. In particular, uninhibited children are
more likely than most to exhibit disruptive behavior disorders, including
aggressiveness and attention problems (Biederman et al., 2001; Schwartz,
Snidman, & Kagan, 1996). But once again, parents and others have a handTABLE 9.1
Correlations Between Inhibition Measures at 21 Months and Behaviors at
Age 5 1/2 Years
Behavior at Age 5 1/2 YearsCorrelation with Inhibition
Score at 21 Months
Play with unfamiliar children .43
Laboratory activity level .38
Look at experimenter .22
Play with new toys .19
Spontaneous falling .40
Ball-toss riskiness .35
Social interaction in school .34
Mother ’s rating of shyness .36
Note: The higher the score, the better the inhibition score predicts the behavior.
Source: Fr om “Inhibited and uninhibited children: A follow-up study, ”by J. S. Reznick et al., Child Development ,
1986, 57, 660 –680. Reprinted by permission of the Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.Temperament 235