Article

Physical and physiological correlates of behavioral inhibition

  1. Dr. Allison A. Rosenberg1,*,
  2. Jerome Kagan2

Article first published online: 13 OCT 2004

DOI: 10.1002/dev.420220802

Issue

Developmental Psychobiology

Developmental Psychobiology

Volume 22, Issue 8, pages 753–770, December 1989

Additional Information

How to Cite

Rosenberg, A. A. and Kagan, J. (1989), Physical and physiological correlates of behavioral inhibition. Dev. Psychobiol., 22: 753–770. doi: 10.1002/dev.420220802

Author Information

  1. 1

    University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California

  2. 2

    Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

*1113 Tolman Hall, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94708, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 13 OCT 2004
  2. Article first published online: 13 OCT 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 13 SEP 1989
  4. Manuscript Revised: 19 JUN 1989
  5. Manuscript Received: 28 OCT 1988

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (1113K)

Abstract

Previous investigations have suggested that the temperamental quality of inhibition is related to the threshold of reactivity to unfamiliar events within certain limbic structures. In earlier work, children in three independent samples who had been selected to be inhibited were more likely to have blue than brown eyes, whereas uninhibited childern were more likely to have brown eyes.

The present study, which selected two-year-old children on the basis of eye color (blue or brown) rather than behavior, found a significant association between blue eyes and behavioral inhibition, and between brown eyes and an uninhibited style. Although the inhibited childern were more likely to have a high and stable heart rate than were the uninhibited children, there was no relation between eye color and these cardiac measures. Several interpretations of the association between these temperamental categories and iris pigmentation are proposed.

Get PDF (1113K)