ERIC Number: EJ1430379
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: EISSN-1939-0599
Can Behaviorally Inhibited Preschoolers Make Friends?
Hailey Fleece; Nicholas J. Wagner; Andrea Chronis-Tuscano; Kelly A. Smith; Danielle R. Novick; Lindsay R. Druskin; Nila Shakiba; Christina M. Danko; Kenneth H. Rubin
Developmental Psychology, v60 n7 p1203-1213 2024
Preschoolers who display extremely inhibited behavior are at risk for the development of anxiety disorders. However, behavioral inhibition (BI) is a multifaceted characteristic. Some children with BI are fearful when confronted by unfamiliar adults, peers, and objects; others are fearful when separated from their parents. In the present study, we examined specific features of BI that predicted observed friendship formation among preschoolers who are behaviorally inhibited. We also examined whether teacher ratings of classroom behaviors predicted friendship formation. Sixty highly inhibited children (35 female, M[subscript age] = 52.57 months) were observed during eight weekly free-play sessions with initially unfamiliar inhibited peers. Free-play periods occurred before weekly intervention sessions for children with BI and their parents. An observational protocol was developed to identify children who made a friend during the eight weekly sessions. Before the first session, different subtypes of BI were assessed by parents; preschool teachers assessed the children's classroom behaviors with familiar peers. Twenty-six children met the criteria for having made and kept a friend. Probit regression analyses revealed that parent ratings of BI among unfamiliar peers and teacher ratings of children's social anxiety before the intervention were associated with a decreased probability of making a friend. No evidence was found linking children's responses to the intervention and friendship formation. Results suggest that extremely inhibited preschoolers are capable of making friends. Implications for future research and intervention efforts that focus on individual differences of children with BI are discussed.
Descriptors: Preschool Children, Inhibition, Child Behavior, Friendship, Peer Relationship, At Risk Persons, Anxiety, Intervention, Individual Characteristics, Interpersonal Competence, Parent Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
Grant or Contract Numbers: R01MH103253; R03MH123762