THE MALLEABILITY OF BEHAVIORAL-INHIBITION - A STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENTAL FUNCTIONS

A longitudinal study of children's individual developmental functions in observed inhibited behavior toward strangers and in teacher judgments of inhibition in school showed that IQ and teacher judgments of social competence predicted a decrease in both measures of inhibition over a 6-year period from ages 4 through 10 years. These findings suggest that, with increasing age, more intelligent or socially competent children can overcome inhibition in laboratory and school settings better than less competent children.