title: Relations between behavioral inhibition, big five personality factors, and anxiety disorder symptoms in non-clinical and clinically anxious children.
abstract: This study examined the relations between behavioral inhibition, Big Five personality traits, and anxiety disorder symptoms in non-clinical children (n = 147) and clinically anxious children (n = 45) aged 6-13 years. Parents completed the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire-Short Form, the Big Five Questionnaire for Children, and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-Revised. Results indicated that, compared to parents of non-clinical children, parents of clinically anxious children rated their offspring higher on neuroticism and behavioral inhibition, but lower on extraversion, conscientiousness, and intellect/openness. Further, extraversion emerged as the strongest correlate of an inhibited temperament, and this appeared true for the clinically anxious as well as the non-clinical children. Finally, in both the clinical and non-clinical samples, higher levels of behavioral inhibition and neuroticism were unique and significant predictors of anxiety disorders symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Suite T12-35, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vreeke@fsw.eur.nl
authors.forename: Leonie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Vreeke
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*