Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
08:22

Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges

Published on: February 25, 2016

15.9K

From Infant Temperament to Anxiety: Infant Neural Responsivity to Unexpected Stimuli Shapes Outcomes

Jiayin Xing1, Dana Kanel2, Sydney Takemoto1

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University, New York, New York.

Biological Psychiatry
|January 17, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Infant temperamental traits like negative reactivity and behavioral inhibition are linked to anxiety risk. Neural sensitivity to unexpected stimuli in infancy can moderate this risk, predicting adolescent anxiety.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Child psychiatry

Background:

  • Negative reactivity (NR) and behavioral inhibition (BI) are infant temperamental traits linked to anxiety.
  • However, not all infants with these traits develop anxiety, indicating missing pathways.
  • This study investigates neural sensitivity as a moderator of anxiety risk from infant temperament.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test if neural sensitivity to unexpected stimuli in infancy moderates the relationship between temperamental risk factors and adolescent anxiety.
  • To examine the role of mismatch response (MMR) and novelty P3 in predicting anxiety development.
  • To understand the pathways from early temperament to later anxiety disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Temperament Over Time Study (N=291).
  • Assessed NR at 4 months and BI at 2-3 years using lab and parent reports.
  • Collected electroencephalography (EEG) at 9 and 36 months during an auditory oddball task to measure MMR and novelty P3.
  • Measured adolescent anxiety via parent/self-reports and clinical interviews at 13 and 15 years.
  • Employed structural equation modeling to analyze moderation and mediation effects.

Main Results:

  • The MMR at 9 months moderated the link between NR, BI, and adolescent anxiety.
  • The MMR at 36 months moderated the association between BI and 13-year anxiety.
  • A more negative MMR indicated elevated anxiety risk, specifically for anxiety, not attention or externalizing problems.
  • Novelty P3 mediated the pathway from NR to social anxiety.

Conclusions:

  • Infant neural responses to unexpected stimuli are associated with temperamental anxiety risk.
  • Neural sensitivity, particularly MMR, plays a crucial role in the developmental pathway from infant temperament to adolescent anxiety.
  • These findings highlight the importance of early neural processing in understanding anxiety development.
Abstract

Keywords:
AnxietyBehavioral inhibitionEEGMismatch negativityMismatch responseNegative reactivity

More Related Videos

P50 Sensory Gating in Infants12:55

P50 Sensory Gating in Infants

Published on: December 26, 2013

9.6K
Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat11:18

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat

Published on: September 12, 2014

15.7K

Related Concept Videos

Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
433
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
504
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
1.6K
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships. 
48.6K
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
226
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
397