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The interactive effects of infant activity level and fear on growth trajectories of early childhood behavior problems

Craig R Colder1, Joshua A Mott, Arielle S Berman

  • 1Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14260-4110, USA. Ccolder@acsu.buffalo.edu

Development and Psychopathology
|March 15, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Infant temperament, specifically activity level and fear, impacts childhood behavior problems. Gender influences these effects, with boys showing increased externalizing and internalizing symptoms, while girls exhibit different patterns in internalizing symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Genetics

Background:

  • Temperament, a set of innate behavioral traits, is a significant predictor of later behavioral outcomes.
  • Understanding the interplay between infant temperament dimensions like activity and fear is crucial for identifying early risk factors for behavior problems.
  • Previous research has often examined temperament traits in isolation, necessitating studies that explore interactive effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interactive effects of infant activity level and fear on the development of behavior problems from early childhood to middle childhood.
  • To examine gender-specific trajectories of externalizing and internalizing symptoms in relation to infant temperament.
  • To identify specific temperament profiles associated with increased risk or resilience for behavioral issues.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY).
  • Maternal ratings of infant temperament (activity level, fear) and child behavior problems (externalizing, internalizing symptoms) were used.
  • Statistical modeling was employed to assess growth trajectories and interactive effects of temperament on behavior problems.

Main Results:

  • In boys, high activity and low fear in infancy predicted escalation in both externalizing and internalizing symptoms.
  • High fear and low activity in infancy predicted increased internalizing symptoms, specifically depression, in boys.
  • For girls, low fear predicted increased internalizing symptoms, and high fear with low activity was associated with a decline in depression symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Interactive models of temperament are essential for understanding the development of behavior problems, highlighting that single traits are insufficient predictors.
  • Gender plays a critical role in mediating the relationship between infant temperament and childhood behavior problems, suggesting distinct developmental pathways.
  • Early identification of at-risk temperament profiles can inform targeted interventions to mitigate the development of behavioral issues.

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