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The History and Theory of Behavioral Inhibition

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Behavioral Inhibition

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the events that led to the concepts of behavioral inhibition (BI) as well as high and low reactive infants. It argues for the need to gather multiple measures and search for patterns that represent categories of individuals rather than treat all measures as reflections of continuous traits. The chapter suggests that infants born with a high reactive temperamental bias are most likely to display inhibited behavior in the toddler years, but with development, many are able to suppress this profile even though they experience an uncomfortable tension in unfamiliar situations. The feeling of tension renders those who were high reactive infants vulnerable to frequent bouts of guilt or shame and, in some, the symptoms of anxiety or depression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Jerome Kagan

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  1. Jerome Kagan
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Correspondence to Jerome Kagan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Koraly Pérez-Edgar

  2. Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Nathan A. Fox

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Kagan, J. (2018). The History and Theory of Behavioral Inhibition. In: Pérez-Edgar, K., Fox, N. (eds) Behavioral Inhibition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98077-5_1

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