Exceptionally timid and cautious infants tend to become shy and unassertive adolescents.This best illustrates the long-term stability of
A) temperament.
B) reflex responses.
C) teratogens.
D) habituation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The long-term stability of temperament, or a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity, is well-established. This means that infants who are exceptionally timid and cautious are likely to maintain those traits as they grow older and become shy and unassertive adolescents. The other answer choices do not appropriately explain the observed phenomenon. Reflex responses refer to automatic, unlearned responses to a particular stimulus and are not necessarily related to temperament. Teratogens are agents that can cause developmental abnormalities in utero and are not relevant to the long-term stability of temperament. Habituation refers to a decrease in responsiveness to a repeatedly presented stimulus and does not fully explain the link between infancy temperament and adolescent personality.

Exceptionally Timid and Cautious Infants Tend to Become Shy and Unassertive