Childhood Traits in Adulthood

The literature presents research regarding the stability of childhood traits over time. Stemberger, Turner, Beidel, and Calhoun (1995) showed that adults suffering from social phobia tended to have a history of childhood anxiety and shyness. For this study 68 subjects with social phobia were compared to 25 normal controls. The authors concluded that childhood traits such as these were predictors of adult social problems.

Weinberger (1997) reported results from a sample (n = 1,486) of youth, young adults, and adults regarding their social-emotional adjustment and correlates to childhood distress and self-restraint. Included in the childhood measure was levels of self-esteem. Findings showed coefficient alpha ranging from .85 to .95, showing that levels of self-esteem and other variables were consistent across age. Thus those who suffered from distress childhood also suffered from the same distress in adulthood.

Bruno (1998) stated that shyness leads to shyness. A troubled person tends to be distressed in the presence of others and avoidance of others relieves anxiety. Thus the shy behavior is reinforced and becomes a habit. The author also stated that interpersonal factors are found to have a role in chronic shyness. For example those who are found to efface themselves, lack assertiveness skills. These people do not know how to stand up for their rights or themselves in interpersonal contexts and therefore tend to find themselves avoiding oth

Related Essays

Measuring Childhood Traits .... Previous literature points out that shyness and other childhood distress traits are found in adulthood and that self-esteem appears to be related to shyness. .... (1281 5 )

Genes&Environment .... be intelligent you could work throughout your childhood and test .... extraversion and neuroticism, "From infancy to adulthood these two traits and activity .... (1253 5 )

ADULT INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVITY .... in creative cognitive processes from childhood to adulthood .... of purpose, and certain other traits that children .... is the key to creative thinking in adulthood. .... (1782 7 )

The Androgynous Personality INTRODUCTION This research examines .... the ways that stereotyped traits and behaviors .... Even in childhood, the effect of parental .... Most androgynous personalities develop in adulthood, and, although a .... (1545 6 )

Thomas Harris' The Red Dragon .... psychosexual and moral development impacted his youth and adulthood. .... a man he exhibits other traits such as .... horrors that made up Dolarhyde's childhood, and by .... (1589 6 )

Category: Psychology - C