Early temperament and stranger wariness as predictors of social inhibitionin 2-year-olds

Forty-five infants were followed from age 5 months to 25 months with the ai m of studying the stranger wariness phenomenon from a temperamental perspec tive. Observations and heart rate reactions in a standardized situation of stranger approach, as well as maternal ratings of temperament at infant age 5 months and 10 months, were used for predicting inhibition in social situ ations at 25 months of age. Stranger wariness as reflected in heart rate me asures at 10 months proved to be predictive of social inhibition in toddler hood and both wariness ar 10 months and social inhibition at 25 months were found to be related positively to reactivity to sensory stimulation and ne gatively to frustration at age 10 months. It was suggested that stranger wa riness during the first year of life reflects individual dispositions to re spond with withdrawal in response to social novelty and that there are comm on temperamental underpinnings, such as reactivity to sensory stimulation a nd to frustration, to both stranger wariness at age 10 months and social in hibition in toddlerhood.