THE STABILITY OF INHIBITED UNINHIBITED TEMPERAMENT FROM AGES 3 TO 11 YEARS IN MAURITIAN CHILDREN

Stability of inhibited/uninhibited temperament was assessed using 1,79 5 Mauritian children tested at ages 3, 8, and 11 years. Children were divided into uninhibited, middle, and inhibited groups at each age bas ed on social behavior. Results indicated that, relative to uninhibited children (1) those inhibited at age 3, obtained larger inhibition sco res at age 8 (p < .0001), (2) those inhibited at age 8 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 11 (p < .002), and (3) those remaining inhib ited from ages 3 to 8 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 11 (p < .002). Relative to children who changed classification from ages 3 to 8, those remaining inhibited obtained larger inhibition scores (p < . 05) and those remaining uninhibited obtained smaller inhibition scores (p < .015) at age 11. Inhibition scores tended to be higher in female s by age 11. Results remained regardless of ethnicity. The results pro vide some support that inhibited/uninhibited temperament remains stabl e from ages 3 to 8 and may continue to age 11. The results suggest cro ss-cultural generalizability of these findings with implications regar ding the development of anxiety disorders in the Maueritian population .