Infant temperament and outcomes in adulthood

A study examines links between infant temperament and adulthood outcomes. Infants exhibit various temperament styles, including behavioral inhibition (BI), which is characterized by cautious and fearful behaviors in response to unfamiliar situations. Alva Tang and colleagues followed over 25 years a cohort of 165 infants recruited at 4 months of age between 1989 and 1993. At 14 months of age, infants were videotaped while exposed to an adult stranger, an unfamiliar playroom, and a novel toy robot. At 15 years of age, participants’ brain signals were recorded while the participants monitored errors during a computer task. At age 26, participants were surveyed about their personality, relationships, mental health, and vocation. Compared with infants who exhibited low BI, infants who exhibited high BI were more likely to become introverted, reserved adults and to report lower interactions with family and friends at age 26. However, infant BI was not associated with vocational or educational achievements or romantic relationship outcomes. Heightened brain activity in response to making errors on a computer task during adolescence was associated with adult anxiety and depressive symptoms among individuals with high infant BI. The results suggest that temperament during the first year of life can have lasting effects into adulthood, according to the authors.

Article #19-17376: “Infant behavioral inhibition predicts personality and social outcomes three decades later,” by Alva Tang et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: Alva Tang, University of Maryland, College Park, MD; tel: 202-734-9843; email:

[email protected]

,

[email protected]

###