Adult Outcomes of Childhood Behavioral Inhibition: Mental Health and Social Relationships in the Third Decade of Life

• In Event: 3-160 - Developmental Models of Shyness: Origins, Maintenance, and Outcomes

Integrative Statement

Adulthood is centered on identity development, consolidation of one’s financial and vocational goals, and maintenance of social relationships, whether they be with a romantic partner, friend, or parent. Longitudinal studies suggest that shy children delay marriage, career establishment, and have lower social and mental health functioning in their 30s compared to non-shy children (Caspi et al., 1988; Kerr et al., 1996; Schmidt et al., 2017, Tang et al., 2017). However, no study to date has examined outcomes in the third decade of life of children who began life with a Behaviorally Inhibited (BI) temperament, which is characterized by fears to novel social and non-social situations (Kagan, 1994). We examined whether childhood BI would predict mental health and romantic relationship outcomes in adulthood. Furthermore, we examined the role of heightened error monitoring as indexed by the error-related negativity (ERN) ERP in adolescence, that is known to moderate the risk for anxiety disorders among BI children (McDermott et al. 2010).

Participants were part of a prospective longitudinal study (N=165, 50% female). Temperament profiles were characterized using a combination of behavioral observations during novel social and non-social situations and peer interactions, and maternal- and self-report measures of social fear/shyness at each time point at 14-, 24- months, 4-, and 7-years (Frenkel et al. 2015). At age 14, participants completed a flanker task, in which the ERN was measured (McDermott et al., 2010). Adult outcomes were self-reported at age 24-28 (n=104) using a battery of validated questionnaires. Latent profile analysis generated profiles of childhood temperament across 14 months to age 7, as well as profiles of psychopathology in adulthood at 24-28 years. All analyses were performed with a full information maximum likelihood estimator and robust standard errors to account for missing data.

Figure 1a shows the two temperament profiles that emerged, including high-stable (17%) and low-stable (83%) BI. Figure 1b shows the internalizing (16.5%) and externalizing (9.3%) profiles that emerged in adulthood. Individuals characterized by high-stable BI were less likely to be in the externalizing class, b=.19, SE=.07, p=.01. Though high-stable BI did not predict risk of being in an internalizing class, a (larger) more negative ERN at age 14 moderated greater risk of being in the internalizing class in adulthood, b= -.10, SE= .024, p <.001 (Fig 2). In terms of romantic relationship outcomes, adults in the high-stable BI class reported less secure feelings, b= -.45, SE= .23, p=. 048, and more dismissive communication styles, b= .62, SE=.22, p=.005. However, high-stable BI did not predict whether they were married/engaged or whether they were in a relationship in adulthood.

These preliminary findings suggest that children with high-stable BI exhibit communication problems with their romantic partners in adulthood. Although high-stable BI buffered against risk for externalizing problems and was not directly associated with internalizing problems in adulthood, those who exhibited a heightened style of monitoring in adolescence continued to be at risk for internalizing problems in adulthood. We will discuss these results in the social, biological, and sociocultural contexts using a lifespan development perspective.

Authors

• Alva Tang, University of Maryland, College Park
  Presenting Author

• Haley Crawford, University of Maryland, College Park
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kathryn A. Degnan, Catholic University of America
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nathan Fox, University of Maryland
  Non-Presenting Author