Inhibited and aggressive preschool children at 23 years of age: personality and social transitions into adulthood.

Full Abstract

In a 19-year longitudinal study, the 15% most inhibited and the 15% most aggressive children at ages 4-6 years were followed up until age 23 years and were compared with controls who were below average in preschool inhibition or aggressiveness. As adults, inhibited boys and girls were judged as inhibited by their parents and showed a delay in establishing a first stable partnership and finding a first full-time job. However, only the upper 8% in terms of inhibition tended to show internalizing problems, including self-rated inhibition. Aggressive boys showed an externalizing personality profile in the parental and self-judgments, were educational and occupational underachievers, and showed a higher adult delinquency rate than the controls, even after sex and socioeconomic status were controlled. The results suggest delayed social transitions without internalizing problems for most male and female inhibited children and a significant long-term risk of an externalizing profile for aggressive children.

Author information

Author/s: Asendorpf, Jens B (JB); Denissen, Jaap J A (JJ); van Aken, Marcel A G (MA);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Humboldt University-Berlin, Berlin, Germany. jens.asendorpf(-atsign-)rz.hu-berlin.de

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Developmental psychology (Dev Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jul; vol 44 (issue 4) : pp 997-1011

Dates: Created 2008/07/08; Completed 2008/11/18;

PMID: 18605830, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00)

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