Behavioral inhibition (BI) is defined as “temperament characterized in early childhood by distress to novelty and avoidance of unfamiliar people” (2021, Fox et al.). Social anxiety is a mental health disorder where an individual fears social situations due to a host of reasons, like being judged or talked about.  

Both sound similar right? Well, behavioral inhibition is actually a well-known risk factor for social anxiety! Interestingly enough, 60% of children with BI are not diagnosed with social anxiety. The study examines how three categories of processing situations (detection, automatic control, and playful control) can affect whether or not children will develop social anxiety. 

They discover that parenting styles and socialization from their environment can impact if a child develops automatic control (increases risk for social anxiety) or playful control (decreases risk for social anxiety). 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

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