SHYNESS AND CHILDRENS EMOTIONALITY, REGULATION, AND COPING - CONTEMPORANEOUS, LONGITUDINAL, AND ACROSS-CONTEXT RELATIONS

The relations of teachers' and parents' reports of children's shyness (i.e., social inhibition) at ages 6-8, 8-10, and 10-12 years to dispos itional regulation, emotionality, and coping were examined. Shyness wa s positively related to internalizing negative emotion, coping by doin g nothing, and, for parent-rated shyness, behavioral inhibition/nonimp ulsivity, attention focusing, and avoidant coping; it was negatively r elated to positive emotionality, instrumental coping, seeking support from teachers (at younger ages), and for teacher-rated shyness, attent ional control. Often prediction held over several years and/or across reporters. Parent-reported internalizing negative emotion at age 4-6 p redicted shyness at ages 6-8 and 8-10, hut primarily for children low in attention shifting. Teacher-rated shyness was related to low social status; parent-rated shyness correlated with boy's adult-rated social status at age 4-6 and with style oi social interaction, particularly for girls. The relation between parent- and teacher-reported shyness d ecreased with age. The overall pattern of findings was partially consi stent with the conclusion that parent-rated shyness reflected primaril y social wariness with unfamiliar people (i.e., temperamental shyness) , whereas teacher-rated shyness tapped social inhibition due to social evaluative concerns.