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

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Shyness is a trait characterized by fear and inhibition to social novelty and/or situations of social-evaluation. Previous work has illustrated the roles of biological and social contexts in the development of different pathways and outcomes of shyness. In this symposium, we address the origins, maintenance, and outcomes associated with shyness using unique developmental models and prospective longitudinal studies spanning infancy to middle adulthood. The first talk tests a developmental programming hypothesis and examines extreme prematurity and in-utero exposure to corticosteroids as prenatal stressors on the developmental trajectory of shyness from ages 8 to 35. Findings suggest that prenatal stressors are associated with early-developing and stable shyness. The second talk uses a transactional model to examine bidirectional child-to-parent and parent-to-child influences in reinforcing shyness and anxiety in early childhood across three studies. Findings suggest that children’s shyness enhances parents’ anxiety and changes parenting behaviors, which in turn, are related to shy children’s enhanced error monitoring, a risk factor for anxiety. The third talk examines trajectories of childhood shyness and mental health and social relationship outcomes at 24 to 28 years and found that high-stable shyness predicted worse communication with romantic partners in adulthood. Enhanced error monitoring was revisited, as internalizing problems in adulthood were highest among those with enhanced error monitoring in adolescence and high-stable childhood shyness. The contributions in this symposium will be discussed in the context of various models of development to understand multiple influences on the origins, maintenance, and outcomes of shyness.

Sub Unit

• Social, Emotional, Personality

Chair

• Kristie L. Poole, McMaster University

Discussant

• Kenneth H. Rubin, Department of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland

Individual Presentations

• Developmental Programming of Shyness: A Longitudinal, Prospective Study Across Four Decades - Presenting Author: Kristie L. Poole, McMaster University; Non-Presenting Author: Saroj Saigal, McMaster University; Non-Presenting Author: Ryan J. Van Lieshout, McMaster University; Non-Presenting Author: Louis Schmidt, McMaster University

• The Other Side of the Dyad: The Early Parent-Child Relationship and Developmental Antecedents of Shyness - Presenting Author: Rebecca Brooker, Texas A&M; Non-Presenting Author: Tristin Nyman, Texas A&M University

• Adult Outcomes of Childhood Behavioral Inhibition: Mental Health and Social Relationships in the Third Decade of Life - Presenting Author: Alva Tang, University of Maryland, College Park; Non-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