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A Brief Scale for Measuring “Behavioral Inhibition to the Unfamiliar” in Children

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Abstract

The behavioral inhibition scale (BIS) is a brief rating scale for measuring behavioral inhibition in children. The present study examined the test–retest stability of the BIS in a sample of 7–12-year-olds consisting of inhibited and non-inhibited children (N = 83). Results demonstrated that the BIS scores were fairly stable over a 2-year period, with a test–retest correlation of .77. Further, the BIS scores of inhibited children significantly increased over the 2-year period, whereas those of the non-inhibited comparison group significantly decreased. Finally, the BIS was in a theoretically meaningful way associated with temperamental traits as measured by the Rothbart scales. Altogether, these results provide support for the reliability and validity of the BIS.

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Correspondence to Anna M. L. Van Brakel.

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Van Brakel, A.M.L., Muris, P. A Brief Scale for Measuring “Behavioral Inhibition to the Unfamiliar” in Children. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 28, 79–84 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-006-7485-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-006-7485-7

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