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Infant Shyness / Temperament — Previous Year Questions

📊 Topic Overview​

MetricValue
Total Questions3 (1.3%)
Priority🟢 LOW — Section B and C only

📝 Answer — Section C (100 words / 3 marks)​

Q. Infant shyness. (short note, 3 marks)​

Asked in: 2020-Dec C11, 2018-Dec C10

Infant Shyness

Infant shyness refers to the temperamental tendency of some infants to display behavioural inhibition — withdrawal, wariness, and distress in response to unfamiliar people, objects, or situations. Kagan (1984) identified this as a stable biological predisposition rooted in low threshold for arousal in the amygdala and limbic system. Shy infants show higher cortisol levels, elevated heart rate, and greater right frontal EEG asymmetry when encountering novelty. Behavioural inhibition in infancy predicts introversion and social anxiety in later childhood and adolescence. It is influenced by genetics (~50% heritability) but modifiable by parenting style and social experience.

📝 Section B Answer (250 words / 6 marks)​

Q. Discuss infant shyness. (6 marks)​

Definition: Infant shyness (behavioural inhibition) is a stable temperamental trait characterised by withdrawal, avoidance, and physiological arousal in response to novelty and unfamiliar social situations.

Kagan's Research: Jerome Kagan identified approximately 15–20% of infants as behaviourally inhibited in his longitudinal research. These infants showed consistent wariness of strangers, reluctance to explore new environments, and heightened physiological reactivity (elevated heart rate, cortisol, pupillary dilation). A similar proportion (~15%) showed the opposite pattern — uninhibited, bold, and exploratory.

Biological Basis: Behavioural inhibition is associated with:

  • Low threshold for arousal in the amygdala (threat-detection circuit)
  • Elevated basal cortisol (stress hormone)
  • Greater right frontal EEG asymmetry (associated with withdrawal motivation)
  • Higher reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system

Heritability: Twin studies indicate ~50% heritability for behavioural inhibition, confirming a genetic contribution. However, parenting (warm, non-overprotective parenting) can reduce its expression, demonstrating gene-environment interaction.

Developmental Trajectory: Shy infants are more likely to become introverted, socially anxious children and adults. However, the trajectory is not fixed — supportive social experiences and graduated exposure to novelty can moderate the outcome.

Relation to Personality: Infant shyness represents an early expression of the broader dimension of Eysenck's Introversion and the trait of Neuroticism (emotional reactivity). It is the earliest observable precursor of adult personality traits.

💡 Exam Tips​

  • Always mention Kagan and behavioural inhibition — these are the key researcher/term.
  • The amygdala and cortisol are the biological markers to cite.
  • For Section C: definition + biological basis (amygdala) + developmental link to introversion/anxiety. ~100 words.