Measuring a behaviorally inhibited temperament style: development and initial validation of new self-report measures

An inhibited temperament early in life has been implicated as a risk factor for the later development of clinically meaningful anxiety and possibly depression. Most empirical investigations study young children, with fewer data obtained from older subjects. Two self-report measures, the Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (AMBI) and the Retrospective Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (RMBI), were developed and evaluated psychometrically. Both instruments were multifactorial with satisfactory psychometric properties. Results indicated that the RMBI performed favorably as a measure of (retrospectively reported) childhood temperament, with good construct and discriminant validity. Designed as a measure of trait behavioral inhibition in adulthood, the AMBI also performed as a measure of contemporaneous anxiety proneness. Although the identified factor structure of both measures requires further examination in independent samples, current results support their use as valid measurement tools for studies examining the link between normal range temperament and psychopathology, especially where more rigorous prospective methods are unavailable. The RMBI may be a particularly useful instrument in this regard.