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Behavioral and physiological antecedents of inhibited and uninhibited behavior
S D Calkins1, N A Fox, T R Marshall
1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Greensboro 27412, USA.
Insights
Infant affective and motor reactivity predict later social behavior. High motor/negative affect infants showed inhibited behavior, while high motor/positive affect infants displayed uninhibited behavior.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Early childhood temperament, characterized by affective and motor reactivity, is theorized to influence later social behavior.
- Understanding the neurophysiological underpinnings of these early behavioral patterns is crucial for predicting developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between early patterns of affective and motor reactivity in 4-month-old infants and their subsequent inhibited or uninhibited behavior at 14 months.
- To examine the relationship between brain electrical activity (EEG) at 9 months and later social behavior.
Main Methods:
- Infants were classified at 4 months based on motor activity and affective reactivity (high motor/negative affect, high motor/positive affect, low motor/affect).
- Brain electrical activity (EEG) was recorded at 9 months, and behavioral responses to novelty were observed at 14 months.
Main Results:
- Infants with high motor activity and negative affect at 4 months showed greater right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) activation at 9 months and inhibited behavior at 14 months.
- Infants with high motor activity and positive affect at 4 months exhibited uninhibited behavior at 14 months.
- Greater overall frontal EEG activation (both left and right hemispheres) at 9 months correlated with higher inhibition scores at 14 months.
Conclusions:
- Early affective and physiological reactivity plays a significant role in shaping social behavior development in toddlerhood.
- Specific patterns of early reactivity may serve as early indicators for later social behavioral tendencies, with implications for understanding individual differences in social adjustment.
Abstract:
4-month-old infants were specifically selected for patterns of affective and motoric reactivity that were hypothesized to be associated with later inhibited and uninhibited behavior. Infants were classified as high on motor activity and negative affect, high on motor activity and positive affect, or low on motor activity and affect. Brain electrical activity was assessed in these infants at 9 months of age, and behavior toward novelty was observed at 14 months of age. Infants who were high on motor activity and negative affect exhibited greater right frontal EEG activation at 9 months of age and inhibited behavior at 14 months of age. Infants classified as high motor/high positive at 4 months of age exhibited uninhibited behavior at 14 months of age. No relations were found between frontal asymmetry at 9 months of age and inhibited behavior at 14 months of age. However, greater activation in both the left and right frontal hemispheres was associated with higher inhibition scores at 14 months of age. These findings are discussed in terms of the role that affective and physiological reactivity may play in the development of social behavior during toddlerhood.