Shyness Trajectories across the First Four Decades Predict Mental Health Outcomes

Age-related differences in behavioral problems between shy adults and shy children

Although both concurrent and longitudinal relations between shyness and behavioral problems are well-established in childhood, there is relatively less work exploring these associations in emerging adulthood. In addition, age-related differences in the strength of these relations in child and adult samples have not been fully explored within the same study. We collected measures of shyness, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and social problems in a sample of 94 typically developing 6-year-old children (50 female; Mage = 78.3 months, SD = 3.1 months) and 775 undergraduate students (633 female, Mage = 18.2 years, SD = 0.9 years) from parent-reported and self-reported questionnaires, respectively. Shyness interacted with age in predicting internalizing behaviors and social problems, but not externalizing behaviors. Specifically, shyness was concurrently and positively related to internalizing and social problems in young adulthood, but this relation was not found in childhood. Findings are discussed in terms of developmental consequences of shyness across the lifespan and limitations of relying on ratings from different informants when examining age-related differences.

Biclustering Multivariate Longitudinal Data with Application to Recovery Trajectories of White Matter After Sport-Related Concussion

Biclustering is the task of simultaneously clustering the samples and features of a data set. In doing so, subsets of samples that exhibit similar behaviors across subsets of features can be identified. Motivated by a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study of sport-related concussion (SRC), we present the problem of biclustering multivariate longitudinal data in which subjects and features are grouped simultaneously based on longitudinal patterns rather than magnitude. We propose a penalized regression based method for solving this problem by exploiting the heterogeneity in the longitudinal patterns within subjects and features. We evaluate the performance of the proposed methods via a simulation study and apply them to the motivating dataset, revealing distinctive patterns of white-matter abnormalities within subgroups of SRC cases.

Associations between Shyness and Victimization with Substance Use Outcomes in the National Comorbidity and Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys

Background: There is a lack of consensus among researchers on the association between shyness and substance use. This may be due to unexamined modifiers of this association, such as childhood victimization. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine if experiencing different types of victimization (emotional, physical, sexual, and poly-victimization) modifies the association between shyness and substance use outcomes in adults. In this study, we performed moderation analyses to investigate whether victimization moderates the association between shyness and substance use/abuse. Data came from the National Comorbidity Survey Baseline (NCS-1; 1990-1992) and the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys (CPES; 2001-2003). Substance use outcomes included were binge drinking, tobacco use, other drug use, and DSM-III-R (NCS-1)/DSM-IV (CPES) classifications of alcohol and drug abuse. Results: Results from NCS-1 supported a moderating role of childhood victimization on the relationship between shyness and tobacco use only, specifically for emotional (p = .031) and physical (p < .001) victimization, and poly-victimization (p < .001). Results from CPES showed a moderating role of lifetime sexual abuse for binge drinking (p = .017), other drug use (p = .028), and alcohol abuse (p = .004). For both datasets, the associations between shyness and substance use outcomes were stronger when there were no victimization histories. Conclusion: These findings give insight on the complexity of the interaction between shyness and victimization. Future research could focus on mechanisms, such as cognitive processes, that may contribute to interactions between shyness and victimization history on substance outcomes.

Serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene network moderates the impact of prenatal maternal adversity on orbitofrontal cortical thickness in middle childhood

In utero, the developing brain is highly susceptible to the environment. For example, adverse maternal experiences during the prenatal period are associated with outcomes such as altered neurodevelopment and emotion dysregulation. Yet, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigate whether the function of a network of genes co-expressed with the serotonin transporter in the amygdala moderates the impact of prenatal maternal adversity on the structure of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in middle childhood and/or the degree of temperamental inhibition exhibited in toddlerhood. T1-weighted structural MRI scans were acquired from children aged 6-12 years. A cumulative maternal adversity score was used to conceptualize prenatal adversity and a co-expression based polygenic risk score (ePRS) was generated. Behavioural inhibition at 18 months was assessed using the Early Childhood Behaviour Questionnaire (ECBQ). Our results indicate that in the presence of a low functioning serotonin transporter gene network in the amygdala, higher levels of prenatal adversity are associated with greater right OFC thickness at 6-12 years old. The interaction also predicts temperamental inhibition at 18 months. Ultimately, we identified important biological processes and structural modifications that may underlie the link between early adversity and future deviations in cognitive, behavioural, and emotional development.

Contemporary Hermits: A Developmental Psychopathology Account of Extreme Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Young People

Although it is widely accepted that human beings have an ingrained 'need to belong,' there seem to be a substantial subset of young people who seclude themselves for most of the time at home and no longer engage in education or work, ultimately withdrawing from participation in society. In Japan, this phenomenon has been labeled as 'hikikomori,' but given its global presence it may be preferable to use the term 'extreme social withdrawal' (ESW). In this qualitative review, we provide a description and definition of ESW, provide figures on its prevalence, and discuss a number of associated concepts, including loneliness and "aloneliness," school absenteeism and dropout, the 'new' developmental stage of adultolescence, and the labor force categories of freeter ('freelance arbeiter') and NEET (a young person not in employment, education, or training). The core of the paper is focused on the origins of ESW in young people and provides a narrative overview of relevant etiological factors, such as aberrant brain processes, unfavorable temperament, psychiatric conditions, adverse family processes including detrimental parenting, negative peer experiences, societal pressures, and excessive internet and digital media use, which are all placed within a comprehensive developmental psychopathology framework. We will close with a discussion of possible interventions for young people with ESW and formulate a guideline that describes (the temporal order of) various components that need to be included in such a treatment.

Examining the relationship between social withdrawal motivations and symptoms of hikikomori

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between social withdrawal motivations (peer isolation, shyness, unsociability, low mood, and avoidance) and symptoms of hikikomori using both variable- and person-oriented analyses.Method: Adolescents (N = 212) participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the Social Withdrawal Motivations Scale and the Avoidance subscale of the Child Social Preference Scale-Revised, the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire, the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 Brief Form, and the Interpersonal sensitivity subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory.Results: Path analysis revealed that peer isolation, shyness, unsociability, and avoidance were associated with symptoms of hikikomori while covarying for age, sex, maladaptive personality, and interpersonal sensitivity. Cluster analysis based on social withdrawal motivations identified four subtypes of adolescents. The group with high social withdrawal motivations showed the highest level of overall personality dysfunction and interpersonal sensitivity. Additionally, the group with high social withdrawal motivations and the group with high avoidance demonstrated higher symptoms of hikikomori compared to the other two groups, after accounting for the effects of the covariates.Conclusions: The findings highlight that the evaluation of co-occurrent social withdrawal motivations may improve the ability to identify those adolescents most in need of support.

The Development of Shyness from Late Childhood to Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study of Mexican-origin Youth

Shyness, the tendency to be inhibited and uncomfortable in novel social situations, is a consequential personality trait, especially during adolescence. The present study examined the development of shyness from late childhood (age 10) through adolescence (age 16) using data from a large, longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth (N = 674). Using both self- and mother-reports of shyness assessed via the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised, we found moderate to high rank-order stabilities across two-year intervals and a mean-level decrease in shyness from age 10 to 16. Anxiety and depression were associated with higher initial levels of shyness, and anxiety was associated with greater decreases in shyness from age 10 to 16. Contrary to predictions, neither nativity (country of birth) nor language proficiency (English, Spanish) was associated with the development of shyness across adolescence. Thus, youth generally decline in shyness during adolescence, although there is substantial individual variability in shyness trajectories.

Trajectories of socially anxious behavior from age 5 to 13: Temperamental and sociocognitive pathways

The authors examined temperamental and sociocognitive predictors of socially anxious behavior from preschool to early adolescence. Children (N = 227; 59% male; 69% White) completed a speech task at ages 5, 7, 10, and 13 and socially anxious behaviors were coded. Behavioral inhibition (BI) was assessed at ages 2/3 and Theory of Mind (ToM) was assessed at age 4. Data collection occurred between 2003 and 2016. Three trajectories of socially anxious behavior were identified: high stable, average increasing, and low stable. Higher BI was related to the high stable trajectory, whereas lower ToM was related to the increasing trajectory of socially anxious behavior. There are heterogenous pathways of socially anxious behavior, which may be uniquely influenced by early temperamental and sociocognitive factors.

Temperamental and Theoretical Contributions to Clinical Psychology

This review considers two themes. The first section describes the influence of two temperamental biases detectable in infants that render children vulnerable to maladaptive behavior if the rearing environment invites such responses. Infants who display high levels of limb activity and crying in response to unexpected events are likely to be shy and fearful as children and are at risk for an anxiety disorder. Infants who display little limb movement and crying are susceptible to assuming risks and vulnerable to asocial behavior if the rearing environment invites these actions. The second section criticizes three common research practices: failure to examine patterns of measures for predictors and outcomes, an indifference to the power of the setting on the evidence recorded, and the distortions that semantic terms in questionnaires impose on replies.

Children's shyness and frontal electroencephalogram delta-beta correlation in the pediatric surgical setting

The prospect of surgery is a unique psychologically threatening context for children, often leading to experiences of preoperative anxiety. Recent research suggests that individual differences in children's temperament may influence responses to the surgical setting. In the present study, we examined whether individual differences in shyness were related to differences in frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) delta-beta correlation, a proposed neural correlate of emotion regulation and dysregulation, among children anticipating surgery. Seventy-one children (36 boys, M_age  = 10.3 years, SD_age  = 1.7 years) undergoing elective surgery self-reported on their own shyness, and their parents also reported on their child's shyness. Using a mobile, dry sensor EEG headband, frontal EEG measures were collected and self- and observer-reported measures of state anxiety were obtained at the children's preoperative visit (Time 1) and on the day of surgery (Time 2). A latent cluster analysis derived classes of low shy (n = 37) and high shy (n = 34) children using the child- and parent-reported shyness measures. We then compared the two classes on frontal EEG delta-beta correlation using between- and within-subjects analyses. Although children classified as high versus low in shyness had higher self- and observer-reported state anxiety across both time periods, frontal EEG delta-beta correlation increased from T1 to T2 only among low shy children using a between-subjects delta-beta correlation measure. We discuss the interpretation of a relatively higher delta-beta correlation as a correlate of emotion regulatory versus dysregulatory strategies for some children in a "real-world," surgical context.

Characterizing Use of a Multicomponent Digital Intervention to Predict Treatment Outcomes in First-Episode Psychosis: Cluster Analysis

BACKGROUND

Multicomponent digital interventions offer the potential for tailored and flexible interventions that aim to address high attrition rates and increase engagement, an area of concern in digital mental health. However, increased flexibility in use makes it difficult to determine which components lead to improved treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify user profiles on Horyzons, an 18-month digital relapse prevention intervention for first-episode psychosis that incorporates therapeutic content and social networking, along with clinical, vocational, and peer support, and to examine the predictive value of these user profiles for treatment outcomes. A secondary objective is to compare each user profile with young people receiving treatment as usual (TAU).

METHODS

Participants comprised 82 young people (aged 16-27 years) with access to Horyzons and 84 receiving TAU, recovering from first-episode psychosis. In addition, 6-month use data from the therapy and social networking components of Horyzons were used as features for K-means clustering for joint trajectories to identify user profiles. Social functioning, psychotic symptoms, depression, and anxiety were assessed at baseline and 6-month follow-up. General linear mixed models were used to examine the predictive value of user profiles for treatment outcomes and between each user profile with TAU.

RESULTS

A total of 3 user profiles were identified based on the following system use metrics: low use, maintained use of social components, and maintained use of both therapy and social components. The maintained therapy and social group showed improvements in social functioning (F_2,51=3.58; P=.04), negative symptoms (F_2,51=4.45; P=.02), and overall psychiatric symptom severity (F_2,50=3.23; P=.048) compared with the other user profiles. This group also showed improvements in social functioning (F_1,62=4.68; P=.03), negative symptoms (F_1,62=14.61; P<.001), and overall psychiatric symptom severity (F_1,63=5.66; P=.02) compared with the TAU group. Conversely, the maintained social group showed increases in anxiety compared with the TAU group (F_1,57=7.65; P=.008). No differences were found between the low use group and the TAU group on treatment outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Continued engagement with both therapy and social components might be key in achieving long-term recovery. Maintained social use and low use outcomes were broadly comparable with TAU, emphasizing the importance of maintaining engagement for improved treatment outcomes. Although the social network may be a key ingredient to increase sustained engagement, as users engaged with this more consistently, it should be leveraged as a tool to engage young people with therapeutic content to bring about social and clinical benefits.

Quality over quantity: A transactional model of social withdrawal and friendship development in late adolescence

The aim of this study was to test a longitudinal, transactional model that describes how social withdrawal and friendship development are interrelated in late adolescence, and to investigate if post-secondary transitions are catalysts of change for highly withdrawn adolescents' friendships. Unilateral friendship data of 1,019 adolescents (61.3% female, 91% Dutch-origin) from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) cohort were collected five times from ages 17 to 18 years. Social withdrawal was assessed at 16 and 19 years. The transactional model was tested within a Structural Equation Modeling framework, with intercepts and slopes of friendship quantity, quality, and stability as mediators and residential transitions, education transitions, and sex as moderators. The results confirmed the presence of a transactional relation between withdrawal and friendship quality. Whereas higher age 16 withdrawal predicted having fewer, lower-quality, and less-stable friendships, only having lower-quality friendships, in turn, predicted higher age 19 withdrawal, especially in girls. Residential transitions were catalysts of change for highly withdrawn youth's number of friends: higher withdrawal predicted a moderate increase in number of friends for adolescents who relocated, and no change for those who made an educational transition or did not transition. Taken together, these results indicate that the quality of friendships-over and above number of friends and the stability of those friendships-is particularly important for entrenching or diminishing withdrawal in late adolescence, and that relocating provides an opportunity for withdrawn late adolescents to expand their friendship networks.

Polygenic scores differentially predict developmental trajectories of subtypes of social withdrawal in childhood

BACKGROUND

Children who consistently withdraw from social situations face increased risk for later socioemotional difficulties. Twin studies indicate that genetic factors substantially account for the persistence of social withdrawal over time. However, the molecular genetic etiology of chronic courses of social wariness and preference for solitude, two dimensions of social withdrawal, remains undocumented. The objectives of the present study were (a) to identify high-risk trajectories for social wariness and preference for solitude in childhood and (b) to examine whether falling on these high-risk trajectories can be predicted by specific polygenic scores for mental health traits and disorders and by a general polygenic predisposition to these traits.

METHODS

Teachers evaluated 971 genotyped children at five occasions (age 6 to 12 years) from two prospective longitudinal studies, the Quebec Newborn Twin Study and the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Developmental trajectories for social wariness and preference for solitude were identified. We tested whether polygenic scores for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, depression, loneliness, and subjective well-being, as well as a general mental health genetic risk score derived across these traits, were associated with the developmental trajectories.

RESULTS

Polygenic scores differentially predicted social wariness and preference for solitude. Only the loneliness polygenic score significantly predicted the high trajectory for social wariness. By contrast, the general mental health genetic risk score factor was associated with the trajectory depicting high-chronic preference for solitude.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct associations were uncovered between the polygenic scores, social wariness, and preference for solitude.

Longitudinal investigation of shyness and physiological vulnerability: Moderating influences of attention biases to threat and safety

Shyness has long been identified as a vulnerability factor to developing psychosocial problems, but there is heterogeneity in these observed outcomes. One potential factor underlying these relations is individual differences in threat sensitivity. Using a longitudinal design, we examined whether attentional biases toward social threat and safety measured during adulthood moderated the association between shyness measured in emerging adulthood (N = 83, n_female = 48; M_age = 23.56 years, SD_age = 1.09 years) and frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry at rest, a physiological index of vulnerability to psychopathology, measured nearly a decade later in adulthood (M_age = 31.68 years, SD_age = 2.27 years). We found that only biases to threat moderated the association between shyness and resting frontal EEG asymmetry longitudinally. In individuals who displayed relative vigilance to social threat, shyness was associated with greater relative right frontal EEG activity at rest (i.e., increased physiological vulnerability). These findings suggest that attentional biases to threat may play a role in understanding the relation between shyness and some known physiological vulnerabilities to psychopathology in adults.

"Adolescents who feel depressed are rejected but do not withdraw: A longitudinal study of ethnically diverse friendship networks in England, Sweden, and Germany"

Adolescents who feel depressed are likely to experience social isolation from friends. Previous studies have put forward at least four hypotheses that can account for the association between felt depression and social isolation. The hypotheses are: (1) adolescents who are rejected tend to feel more depressed, (2) adolescents who feel depressed tend to become rejected, (3) adolescents who withdraw from friends tend to feel more depressed, and (4) adolescents who feel depressed tend to withdraw from friends. The present study aims to test these four hypotheses in ethnically diverse contexts in three countries. Two waves of data from England (n = 515), Sweden (n = 1,228), and Germany (n = 869) were obtained from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU). One separate stochastic actor-oriented model of the longitudinal coevolution of friendship networks and felt depression was estimated for each of the three countries using the statistical package RSiena. The results consistently indicated that, in all three countries, adolescents who felt depressed were rejected by their peers. Also, the results consistently indicated that adolescents who felt depressed sought more friends, and the results therefore refuted the suggestion that adolescents who feel depressed withdraw from their friends. The findings of the study can inform health-promotion interventions that attempt to limit the social isolation of adolescents who feel depressed in ethnically diverse contexts. More specifically, the study suggests that the social isolation of adolescents who feel depressed may be limited through interventions that reduce the rejection that these adolescents experience from their peers.

Social Withdrawal and Romantic Relationships: A Longitudinal Study in Early Adulthood

Involvement in romantic relationships is a salient developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood, and deviations from normative romantic development are linked to adverse outcomes. This study investigated to what extent social withdrawal contributed to deviations from normative romantic development, and vice versa, and the interplay between withdrawal and couples’ relationship perceptions. The sample included 1710 young adults (55–61% female) from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey cohort and their romantic partners. Data were collected across 4 waves, covering romantic relationships from ages 17 to 29 years. The results showed that higher withdrawal predicted a higher likelihood of romantic non-involvement by adulthood, consistently being single at subsequent waves, and entering one’s first relationship when older. Withdrawal moderately decreased when youth entered their first relationship. Male’s withdrawal in particular affected romantic relationship qualities and dynamics. These results provide new insights into the developmental sequelae of withdrawn young adults’ romantic relationship development.

Temperamental Shyness and Anger/Frustration in Childhood: Normative Development, Individual Differences, and the Impacts of Maternal Intrusiveness and Frontal Electroencephalogram Asymmetry

This study used latent growth curve modeling to identify normative development and individual differences in the developmental patterns of shyness and anger/frustration across childhood. This study also examined the impacts of maternal intrusiveness and frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry at age 4 on the developmental patterns of shyness and anger/frustration. 180 children (92 boys, 88 girls; M_age  = 4.07 years at baseline; 75.6% White, 18.3% Black, 6.1% multiracial/other) participated in the study. Normative development included significant linear decreases in shyness and anger/frustration. Individual variation existed in the developmental patterns. Children with left frontal EEG asymmetry showed a faster decreasing pattern of shyness. Children who experienced higher maternal intrusiveness and had left frontal EEG asymmetry showed a slower decreasing pattern of anger/frustration.

Physical activity from adolescence to young adulthood: patterns of change, and their associations with activity domains and sedentary time

BACKGROUND

Longitudinal studies demonstrate an average decline in physical activity (PA) from adolescence to young adulthood. However, while some subgroups of adolescents decrease activity, others increase or maintain high or low activity. Activity domains may differ between subgroups (exhibiting different PA patterns), and they offer valuable information for targeted health promotion. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify PA patterns from adolescence to young adulthood; also to explore the associations of (i) changes in PA domains and in sedentary time, (ii) sociodemographic factors, and (iii) self-rated health with diverging PA patterns.

METHODS

The observational cohort study data encompassed 254 adolescents at age 15 and age 19. K-means cluster analysis for longitudinal data was performed to identify participant clusters (patterns) based on their accelerometry-measured moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Logistic regressions were applied in further analysis.

RESULTS

Five PA patterns were identified: inactivity maintainers (n = 71), activity maintainers (n = 70), decreasers from moderate (to low) PA (n = 61), decreasers from high (to moderate) PA (n = 32), and increasers (n = 20). At age 15, participation in sports clubs (SC, 41-97%) and active commuting (AC, 47-75%) was common in all the patterns. By age 19, clear dropout from these activities was prevalent (SC participation mean 32%, AC 31-63%). Inactivity maintainers reported the lowest amount of weekly school physical education. Dropout from SC - in contrast to non-participation in SC - was associated with higher odds of being a decreaser from high PA, and with lower odds of being an inactivity maintainer. Maintained SC participation was associated with higher odds of belonging to the decreasers from high PA, and to the combined group of activity maintainers and increasers; also with lower odds of being an inactivity maintainer. Maintenance/adoption of AC was associated with decreased odds of being an inactivity maintainer. Self-reported health at age 19 was associated with the patterns of maintained activity and inactivity.

CONCLUSIONS

PA patterns diverge over the transition to adulthood. Changes in SC participation and AC show different associations with diverging PA patterns. Hence, tailored PA promotion is recommended.

Children's shyness and neural responses to social exclusion: Patterns of midfrontal theta power usually not observed until adolescence

Adverse peer experiences, such as social exclusion, are known risks for socioemotional problems among shy youth. Yet, little is known about how shy children and adolescents process social exclusion in the brain and whether these responses are amplified in adolescence. Using the Cyberball task, we examined mediofrontal theta (4-7 Hz) event-related EEG spectral power during conditions of fair play and social exclusion in 122 participants (58 children, ages 10-12 years, and 64 adolescents, ages 14-17 years). Age effects of the task showed that adolescents displayed heightened theta power to both outright rejection and baseline "not my turn" events, whereas children showed higher theta power to rejection compared with "not my turn" events. Further results on individual differences showed that children with relatively higher levels of shyness displayed enhanced theta power to both rejection and "not my turn" events-a pattern that also was observed in adolescents. These findings suggest that a pattern of heightened neural sensitivity to both outright social exclusion and threats of exclusion, which is the norm by adolescence, also is observed in children with higher levels of shyness. The similar neural response pattern might be driven by salient social motivations that similarly modify the social cognition and behaviors of these groups and might reflect neural antecedents of rejection sensitivity.

Trajectories of behavioral avoidance in real time: Associations with temperament and physiological dysregulation in preschoolers

Although excessive avoidance has been implicated in mental health problems and socioemotional difficulties, relatively little is known about dynamic changes of avoidance behaviors. We used a latent class growth analysis to examine the temporal course of avoidance behaviors in real time and determined whether the derived classes were distinguishable on temperament and physiological markers of regulation and reactivity (N = 153; M_age = 4.20 years). A three-class solution was found and identified a low, medium, and high increasing avoidance group. The high and increasing avoidance group had the highest physiological reactivity (cortisol reactivity) and shyness, and the lowest physiological regulation (i.e., respiratory sinus arrythmia suppression). High and increasing avoidance may therefore be associated with temperamental and physiological indices of risk implicated in maladjustment and highlight the value of data-driven, group-based approaches for examining dynamic patterns of behavior.

Vigilant or avoidant? Children's temperamental shyness, patterns of gaze, and physiology during social threat

Temperamental shyness is characterized by fear, wariness, and the perception of threat in response to social novelty. Previous work has been inconsistent regarding attentional patterns to social threat among shy children, with evidence for both avoidance and vigilance. We examined relations between children's shyness and gaze aversion during the approach of a stranger (i.e., a context of social novelty), and tested whether these patterns of gaze moderated relations between shyness and autonomic reactivity and recovery. Participants included 152 typically-developing children (M_age  = 7.82 years, SD = 0.44 years) who had their respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) recorded during baseline, social novelty, and recovery. Children's shyness correlated with increases in self-reported nervousness from baseline to social novelty, providing support for perceived threat. Results revealed that children's proportion of gaze aversion from social novelty was related to shyness in a U-shape pattern such that both low levels of gaze aversion (i.e., attentional vigilance) and high levels of gaze aversion (i.e., attentional avoidance) were related to higher levels of shyness. Further, we found that children's shyness was directly related to decreases in RSA from baseline to social novelty, whereas quadratic gaze to social novelty moderated the relation between shyness and RSA recovery. Specifically, shyness was related to greater RSA recovery among children who exhibited attentional vigilance during the novel social interaction. Our findings provide support for both avoidance of, and vigilance to, social threat among different shy children, and these gaze strategies may be differentially related to physiological regulation during novel social encounters.

Temperamental Shyness, Frontal EEG Theta/Beta Ratio, and Social Anxiety in Children

The authors examined how children's frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) theta/beta ratio-an index of neurocognitive control-changed from baseline to a social stressor, and whether these EEG changes moderated the relation between temperament and anxiety. Children (N = 152; M_age  = 7.82 years, 52% male, 81% White) had their EEG recorded during a baseline and speech anticipation condition. Children's frontal theta/beta ratio decreased from baseline to speech anticipation, and this baseline-to-task change moderated the relation between temperamental shyness and social anxiety. Temperamental shyness was related to higher state and trait social anxiety only among children with large baseline-to-task decreases in theta/beta ratio. Findings are consistent with theoretical models hypothesizing that temperamentally shy children with heightened neurocognitive control may be at greater risk for anxiety.

The social withdrawal and social anxiety feedback loop and the role of peer victimization and acceptance in the pathways

Social withdrawal and social anxiety are believed to have a bidirectional influence on one another, but it is unknown if their relationship is bidirectional, especially within person, and if peer experiences influence this relationship. We investigated temporal sequencing and the strength of effects between social withdrawal and social anxiety, and the roles of peer victimization and acceptance in the pathways. Participants were 2,772 adolescents from the population-based and clinically referred cohorts of the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey. Self- and parent-reported withdrawal, and self-reported social anxiety, peer victimization, and perceived peer acceptance were assessed at 11, 13, and 16 years. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to investigate within-person associations between these variables. There was no feedback loop between withdrawal and social anxiety. Social withdrawal did not predict social anxiety at any age. Social anxiety at 11 years predicted increased self-reported withdrawal at 13 years. Negative peer experiences predicted increased self- and parent-reported withdrawal at 13 years and increased parent-reported withdrawal at 16 years. In turn, self-reported withdrawal at 13 years predicted negative peer experiences at 16 years. In conclusion, adolescents became more withdrawn when they became more socially anxious or experienced greater peer problems, and increasing withdrawal predicted greater victimization and lower acceptance.

Getting to the heart of childhood empathy: Relations with shyness and respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Although prior studies have found that shyness and empathy are inversely related and that well-regulated children tend to express empathic behaviors more often, little work has assessed combinations of these factors in predicting affective and cognitive empathy in early childhood. The authors examined relations among shyness, resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and observed affective and cognitive empathy in a sample of 130 typically developing children (M_age  = 63.5 months, SD = 12.2; 62 males). Shyness was assessed by observing children's behaviors during a self-presentation task, and this observed measure was then combined with a maternal report of children's temperamental shyness. Children's shyness predicted lower levels of both affective and cognitive responses to an experimenter feigning an injury. Resting RSA moderated the relation between children's shyness and observed empathy such that relatively higher shyness combined with lower RSA levels conferred the lowest levels of cognitive empathy. Children who were relatively low in shyness exhibited similar levels of cognitive empathy across different levels of RSA. However, this moderation was not found when predicting children's affective empathy. Our results suggest that not all shy children are alike in terms of their empathic behaviors: shy children who are physiologically dysregulated appear to have difficulties exploring and/or processing others' pain.

Multiple Trajectories in Anxious Solitary Youths: the Middle School Transition as a Turning Point in Development

This study aimed to identify divergent patterns of individual continuity and change in anxious solitude (AS) in the last half of elementary school (3rd - 5th grade) and the first two years of middle school (6th - 7th grade), and test predictors and outcomes of these pathways. Participants were 688 youths (girls n = 354, 51.5%; M age at outset = 8.66 years, SD = 0.50). Latent class growth analyses identified two AS trajectory classes in elementary school (moderate-decreasing, high-increasing) and three in middle school (low-stable, low-increasing, high-decreasing). The elementary school moderate-decreasing class was two-and-a-half times more likely than others to end in the middle school low-stable class. In contrast, the elementary school high-increasing class was twice as likely as others to end in the middle school low-increasing class, and four times as likely to end in the middle school high-decreasing class. Peer exclusion predicted membership in increasing AS trajectory classes in both elementary and middle school, whereas the middle school high-decreasing AS trajectory class demonstrated decreasing peer exclusion during middle school. Likewise, inability to defend oneself predicted membership in increasing AS trajectory classes in both elementary and middle school, whereas membership in the middle school high-decreasing AS trajectory class was predicted by inability to defend oneself in elementary but not middle school. High-decreasing AS youths' improved ability to defend themselves in middle school appeared to be related to a cascade of improvements in related domains. In contrast, membership in increasing AS classes in elementary and middle school predicted symptoms of social anxiety and depression.

Developmental Trajectories of Shyness-Sensitivity from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence in China: Contributions of Peer Preference and Mutual Friendship

This study examined trajectories of shyness-sensitivity and the contributions of peer relationships to these trajectories in Chinese children. Participants were 1061 school-age children (537 boys), initially in fifth grade (M_age = 11 years), in China. Longitudinal data on shyness-sensitivity were collected from peer assessments once a year for four years. In addition, peer nomination data on peer acceptance-rejection and mutual friendship were collected in the initial study. Four distinct shyness-sensitivity trajectories were identified: Low-Stable, Low-Increasing, Moderate-Decreasing, and High-Stable. Children with high peer acceptance scores were more likely to be in the High-Stable and Moderate-Decreasing trajectories than in the Low-Stable and Low-Increasing trajectories. The analysis of predictors of the within-trajectory growth rate indicated that children who were more liked by peers increased their shyness-sensitivity more slowly within the Low-Increasing trajectory and that children with mutual friendship involvement decreased their shyness-sensitivity more slowly within the Moderate-Decreasing trajectory. The results suggested that positive relationships might serve to attenuate developmental changes of shyness-sensitivity within these trajectories. The results were discussed in the Chinese context.

Frontal Brain Asymmetry and the Trajectory of Shyness Across the Early School Years

Although resting right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry has been linked to avoidance and withdrawal-related behaviors such as shyness in previous cross-sectional studies, relatively little research has examined the influence of frontal brain electrical activity on the development of shyness in children using a prospective, longitudinal study design. Here, we tested whether resting frontal EEG asymmetry predicted the trajectory of children's shyness across five assessments. Children were enrolled in the study during the summer prior to grade 1 (N = 37; M_age = 6.39 years, S.D. = 0.15 years), at which time resting frontal EEG activity and maternal report of children's shyness were collected. Mothers then reported on their child's shyness over another four follow-up assessments, spanning 2 years (winter of grade 1, summer prior to grade 2 entry, winter of grade 2, and summer prior to grade 3). Growth curve analysis revealed that children displaying greater relative right frontal EEG activity had lower levels of shyness relative to children exhibiting greater relative left frontal EEG activity at study enrollment (i.e., age 6), but displayed statistically significant linear increases in shyness across time, with the highest levels of shyness by the summer prior to grade 3 (i.e., age 8). There was, however, no relation between left frontal EEG asymmetry and change in shyness across time. These preliminary findings suggest that right frontal EEG asymmetry may reflect a biological diathesis for the growth of shyness during the early school years.

Positive Shyness in the Brain: Frontal Electroencephalogram Alpha Asymmetry and Delta-Beta Correlation in Children

Positive shyness is thought to be an approach-dominant form of shyness, whereas non-positive shyness is thought to be an avoidance-dominant form of shyness. This study examined electrocortical and behavioral correlates of motivation and emotion in relation to these shy subtypes in 67 children (M_age  = 10.41 years, SD = 3.23). Using resting state electroencephalography, findings revealed that positive shy and low shy children had greater relative left frontal alpha asymmetry compared to non-positive shy children, and positive shy children had a higher frontal delta-beta correlation compared to other groups. Non-positive shy children scored highest on parent-reported school avoidance. These findings converge with previous work reporting distinct correlates in positive and non-positive shyness, extending this to two brain measures of motivation and emotion.

Psychological characteristics and stress differentiate between high from low health trajectories in later life: a machine learning analysis

Objective: This study set out to empirically identify joint health trajectories in individuals of advanced age. Predictors of subgroup allocation were investigated to identify the impact of psychological characteristics, stress, and socio-demographic variables on more favorable aging trajectories.Method: The sample consisted of N = 334 older adults (M_AGE=68.31 years; SD = 9.71). Clustered health trajectories were identified using a longitudinal variant of k-means and were based on health and satisfaction with life. Random forests with conditional interference were computed to examine predictive capabilities. Key predictors included psychological resilience resources, exposure to childhood adversities, and chronic stress. Data was collected via a survey, at two different time points one year apart.Results: Two different clustered health trajectories were identified: A 'constant high health' (low number of health-related symptoms, 65.6%) and a 'maintaining low health' profile (high number of symptoms, 34.4%). Over the one-year study period, both symptom profiles remained stable. Random forest analyses showed chronic stress to be the most important predictor in the interaction with other risk and also buffering factors.Conclusion: This study provides empirical evidence for two stable health trajectories in later life over one year. These results highlight the importance of chronic stress, but also psychological resilience resources in predicting aging trajectories.

Shyness and perceived monitoring by peers affect children's performance in a divided attention task

To engage effectively in a dynamic social world, children must be prepared to process incoming information quickly and efficiently. For some, the perception that one may be evaluated by peers may directly affect how they attend to and engage with the world around them. The current study examined how children's performance on a hierarchical figures task varies under perceived social and nonsocial conditions as a function of temperamental shyness. A total of 78 8-year-olds completed a self-report measure of shyness and two blocks of a divided attention task in which they identified targets appearing at the global or local level of a hierarchical figure. Children completed one block under standard laboratory conditions (Baseline condition) and completed the other block under the impression that their performance was being recorded and would be shown to other children of the same age (Social Monitoring condition). Results showed that children were faster and more accurate when targets appeared at the global level and when targets remained at the same level across trials. Furthermore, as shyness increased, children responded slower in the Social Monitoring condition relative to the Baseline condition. Notably, these changes in response time were not reflected by commensurate increases in accuracy. Potential processes and motivations underlying these differences in performance, as well as implications for children in real-world situations, are discussed.

Revisiting the double-edged sword of self-regulation: Linking shyness, attentional shifting, and social behavior in preschoolers

Although children's self-regulation has been conceptualized positively, there may be individual differences in self-regulatory processes, some of which might not be adaptive depending on temperamental factors. We examined whether individual differences in children's self-regulation (i.e., inhibitory control and attentional shifting) moderated the association between shyness and social behavior in multiple social contexts (N = 156 children, 74 girls; M_age = 4.06 years, SD = 0.78). Only in children with high attentional shifting was shyness associated with lower levels of social support seeking during a frustration task and with lower levels of social engagement during a stranger approach task. These results were not attributable to differences in baseline physiological arousal indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia. These findings suggest that for some shy children, high levels of self-regulation may be less adaptive, leading to rigidity or over-control in some social contexts, possibly hindering social interaction.

Infant behavioral inhibition predicts personality and social outcomes three decades later

Does infant temperament predict adult personality and life-course patterns? To date, there is scant evidence examining relations between child temperament and adult outcomes, and extant research has relied on limited methods for measuring temperament such as maternal report. This prospective longitudinal study followed a cohort of infants (n = 165) for three decades to examine whether infant behavioral inhibition, a temperament characterized by cautious and fearful behaviors to unfamiliar situations, shapes long-term personality, social relationships, vocational/education, and mental health outcomes in adulthood. At age 14 mo, behavioral inhibition was assessed using an observation paradigm. In adolescence (15 y; n = 115), error monitoring event-related potentials were measured in a flanker task. In adulthood (26 y; n = 109), personality, psychopathology, and sociodemographics were self-reported using questionnaires. We found that infants with higher levels of behavioral inhibition at 14 mo grew up to become more reserved and introverted adults (β = 0.34) with lower social functioning with friends and family (β = -0.23) at age 26. Infant behavioral inhibition was also a specific risk factor for adult internalizing (i.e., anxiety and depression, β = 0.20) psychopathology, rather than a transdiagnostic risk for general and externalizing psychopathology. We identified a neurophysiologic mechanism underlying risk and resilience for later psychopathology. Heightened error monitoring in adolescence moderated higher levels of adult internalizing psychopathology among behaviorally inhibited individuals. These findings suggest meaningful continuity between infant temperament and the development of adult personality. They provide the earliest evidence suggesting that the foundation of long-term well-being is rooted in individual differences in temperament observed in infancy.

Trajectories of Resting Heart Period and Shyness in Adolescent Females Exposed to Child Maltreatment

Relatively little is known about the psychophysiological processes underlying the development of socioemotional vulnerabilities that are common among adolescents exposed to child maltreatment. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we investigated whether trajectories of resting heart period (HP; a physiological correlate of stress vulnerability) across three visits (separated by 6 months) was associated with shyness (a type of socioemotional vulnerability) in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment (N = 55; M_age = 14.07 years). Adolescents' resting HP across visits was best characterized by two latent trajectories: a stable high class (25.5%) and a stable low class (74.5%). The stable low HP trajectory was associated with higher shyness at Time 1 (T1), and HP trajectory moderated the association between T1 and Time 3 (T3) shyness. Females in the stable low HP trajectory demonstrated stability of shyness from T1 to T3, whereas T1 and T3 shyness were unrelated for females in the stable high HP trajectory. We also found that shyness at T1 and T3 was associated with greater levels of anxiety at T3. These findings illustrate heterogeneity in the developmental patterns of resting autonomic activity in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment; such differences may influence the continuity of some traits linked with socioemotional vulnerability such as shyness.

Frontal brain maturation and the stability of children's shyness

Recent evidence suggests that relative to nonshy children, shy children exhibit a lower overall frontal EEG alpha/delta ratio (ADR) during middle childhood, possibly reflecting relatively less frontal brain maturation at this age. We examined this same ADR measure in relation to the stability of observed shyness and parent-reported child social anxiety measured across two laboratory visits separated by approximately 1 year during late childhood in 51 children (33% female, age range 10-16 years). We found that the overall frontal ADR score was significantly lower among children with high, stable observed shyness and parent-reported child social anxiety compared to children in the low, stable class. Findings provide convergent evidence suggesting that the stability of shyness in late childhood may be linked to relatively less overall frontal brain maturation at this age. We speculate on the adaptive function of delaying frontal brain maturation in the origins and maintenance of children's shyness.

Individual Differences in Self-Talk Frequency: Social Isolation and Cognitive Disruption

Despite the popularity of research on intrapersonal communication across many disciplines, there has been little attention devoted to the factors that might account for individual differences in talking to oneself. In this paper, I explore two possible explanations for why people might differ in the frequency of their self-talk. According to the “social isolation” hypothesis, spending more time alone or having socially isolating experiences will be associated with increased self-talk. According to the “cognitive disruption” hypothesis, having self-related experiences that are cognitively disruptive will be associated with increased self-talk frequency. Several studies using the Self-Talk Scale are pertinent to these hypotheses. The results indicate good support for the social isolation hypothesis and strong support for the cognitive disruption hypothesis. I conclude the paper with a wide range of implications for future research on individual differences in self-talk and other kinds of intrapersonal communication.

Social Withdrawal in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Measurement Issues, Normative Development, and Distinct Trajectories

Social withdrawal during adolescence and early adulthood is particularly problematic due to the increasing importance of social interactions during these ages. Yet little is known about the changes, trajectories, or correlates of being withdrawn during this transition to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to examine the normative change and distinct trajectories of withdrawal in order to identify adolescents and early adults at greatest risk for maladjustment. Participants were from a Dutch population-based cohort study (Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey), including 1917 adolescents who were assessed at four waves from the age of 16 to 25 years. Five items from the Youth Self Report and Adult Self Report were found to be measurement invariant and used to assess longitudinal changes in social withdrawal. Overall, participants followed a U-shaped trajectory of social withdrawal, where withdrawal decreased from ages 16 to 19 years, remained stable from 19 to 22 years, and increased from 22 to 25 years. Furthermore, three distinct trajectory classes of withdrawal emerged: a low-stable group (71.8%), a high-decreasing group (12.0%), and a low-curvilinear group (16.2%). The three classes differed on: shyness, social affiliation, reduced social contact, anxiety, and antisocial behaviors. The high-decreasing group endorsed the highest social maladjustment, followed by the low-curvilinear group, and the low-stable group was highly adjusted. We discuss the potential contribution of the changing social network in influencing withdrawal levels, the distinct characteristics of each trajectory group, and future directions in the study of social withdrawal in adolescence and early adulthood.

Developmental programming of shyness: A longitudinal, prospective study across four decades

Although shyness is a ubiquitous phenomenon with early developmental origins, little research has examined the influence of prenatal exposures on the developmental trajectory of shyness. Here, we examined trajectories of shyness from childhood to adulthood in three groups (N = 254), with varying degrees of prenatal adversity as indicated by the number of stressful exposures: extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) survivors prenatally exposed to exogenous corticosteroids (ELBW+S, n = 56); ELBW survivors not prenatally exposed to exogenous corticosteroids (ELBW+NS, n = 56); and normal birth weight (NBW, n = 142) controls. Multilevel modeling revealed that the ELBW+S individuals exhibited the highest levels of childhood shyness, which remained stable into adulthood. The ELBW+NS and NBW controls had comparably low levels of childhood shyness; however, the ELBW+NS individuals experienced patterns of increasing shyness, while NBW controls displayed decreases in shyness into adulthood. We speculate that individuals exposed to multiple prenatal stressors (i.e., ELBW+S) may be developmentally programmed to be more sensitive to detecting social threat, with one manifestation being early developing, stable shyness, while increasing shyness among ELBW+NS individuals may reflect a later developing shyness influenced by postnatal context. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the developmental origins and developmental course of human shyness from childhood through adulthood.

Evidence Base Update on the Treatment of Early Childhood Anxiety and Related Problems

The controlled evaluation of treatments for early childhood anxiety and related problems has been a relatively recent area of investigation, and accordingly, trials examining early childhood anxiety treatment have not been well represented in existing systematic reviews of youth anxiety treatments. This Evidence Base Update provides the first systematic review of evidence supporting interventions specifically for the treatment of early childhood anxiety and related problems. Thirty articles testing 38 treatments in samples with mean age < 7.9 years (N = 2,228 children) met inclusion criteria. We applied Southam-Gerow and Prinstein's (2014) review criteria, which classifies families of treatments according to one of five levels of empirical support-Well-Established, Probably Efficacious, Possibly Efficacious, Experimental, and of Questionable Efficacy. We found family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to be a Well-Established treatment, and Group Parent CBT and Group Parent CBT + Group Child CBT to both be Probably Efficacious treatments. In contrast, play therapy and attachment-based therapy are still only Experimental treatments for early childhood anxiety, relaxation training has Questionable Efficacy, and there is no evidence to date to speak to the efficacy of individual child CBT and/or medication in younger anxious children. All 3 currently supported interventions for early childhood anxiety entail exposure-based CBT with significant parental involvement. This conclusion meaningfully differs from conclusions for treating anxiety in older childhood that highlight the well-established efficacy of individual child CBT and/or medication and that question whether parental involvement in treatment enhances outcomes.

Young children's behavioral and neural responses to peer feedback relate to internalizing problems

Despite the importance of peer experiences during early childhood for socioemotional development, few studies have examined how young children process and respond to peer feedback. The current study used an ecologically valid experimental paradigm to study young children's processing of peer social acceptance or rejection. In this paradigm, 118 children (50% boys; M_age = 72.92 months; SD = 9.30; Range_age = 53.19-98.86 months) sorted pictures of unknown, similar-aged peers into those with whom they wished or did not wish to play. They were later told how these peers sorted them, such that in half of the cases the presumed peer accepted or rejected the participant. When rejected children reported more distress (sadness), they were slower to rate their affective response, and exhibited increased mid-frontal EEG theta power, compared to when accepted. Moreover, we found that children's affective responses and EEG theta power for rejection predicted internalizing problems, especially if they displayed an attention bias to social threat. Our results further validate and illustrate the utility of this paradigm for studying how young children process and respond to peer feedback.

Personality Development Within a Generational Context: Life Course Outcomes of Shy Children

Studies have shown that shy children born in the 1920s and 1950s had delayed marriage and parenthood, less stable careers, and lower occupational attainment as adults than other children. Do these effects still hold true? We examined demographic and social outcomes of children born between 1977 and 1982 in a prospective longitudinal study. We assessed shyness in childhood (age 8), adolescence (age 12-16), young adulthood (age 22-26), and adulthood (age 30-35), and derived three shyness trajectories (i.e., decreasing, increasing, and low-stable). Social and demographic outcomes for shy children who outgrew their shyness (i.e., decreasing trajectory) were indistinguishable from those who were consistently low on shyness measures. However, a shyness trajectory beginning in adolescence and increasing to adulthood was associated with poorer outcomes, similar to previous studies. These findings highlight the importance of multiple assessments in long-term longitudinal studies and the need to consider personality development within a generational context.