Laptook Rebecca S, Klein Daniel N, Durbin C Emily, Hayden Elizabeth P, Olino Thomas M, Carlson Gabrielle
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-2500.
Pers Individ Dif. 2008 Feb;44(3):758-767. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2007.10.010.
The temperament constructs of low positive affectivity (PA) and high behavioral inhibition (BI) overlap and are often not differentiated in the research literature. In particular, both constructs are characterized by low approach and engagement. However, current theoretical conceptualizations of these constructs suggest that low PA should be associated with low approach across most contexts, whereas BI should be associated with low approach only in novel situations. The present study used laboratory measures of child temperament and behavior to test these hypotheses in a sample of 100 preschool-age children. Results indicated that in novel situations, both lower positive affect and higher BI predicted low behavioral approach. However, in non-novel situations, only lower levels of positive affect predicted lower levels of approach; BI was not related to approach behavior in more familiar contexts. In conclusion, this study indicates that the overlap between the temperament traits of low PA and high BI is limited to novel contexts and that these constructs are distinguished by behavior in non-novel situations.
低积极情感性（PA）和高行为抑制性（BI）这两种气质结构相互重叠，在研究文献中常常未被区分。特别是，这两种结构的特点都是低趋近性和低参与度。然而，目前对这些结构的理论概念表明，低PA在大多数情况下都应与低趋近性相关，而BI仅在新情境中应与低趋近性相关。本研究采用实验室测量儿童气质和行为的方法，在100名学龄前儿童样本中检验这些假设。结果表明，在新情境中，较低的积极情感和较高的BI都预示着较低的行为趋近性。然而，在非新情境中，只有较低水平的积极情感预示着较低水平的趋近性；在更熟悉的情境中，BI与趋近行为无关。总之，本研究表明，低PA和高BI这两种气质特征之间的重叠仅限于新情境，并且这些结构在非新情境中的行为表现上是有区别的。
