Timid children become introverted adults with fewer friends

Behavioural inhibition and shyness at infancy leads to a reserved, introverted personality by the time a person reaches their mid-twenties, new research shows. US neuroscientists found that infants with'behavioural inhibition' grew up to be reserved and have fewer human interactions aged 26. Individuals who showed sensitivity to making errors at the age of 15, meanwhile, later had a higher risk for internalizing anxiety and depression. The quarter-century-long experiment is evidence of the long-lasting impact of our internal processes at a young age, despite physical changes and years of life experience. 'While many studies link early childhood behaviour to risk for psychopathology, the findings in our study are unique,' said Daniel Pine, study author and chief of the National Institute of Mental Health Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience.