The moderating role of reactive control of the association between behavioral inhibition and social anxiety in emerging adults

Abstract

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperamental profile characterized by heightened sensitivity to novelty. Often studied in childhood, past research indicates BI may be an important risk factor for the later development of anxiety disorders, especially for individuals who rely on certain types of cognitive control. Proactive control is goal-oriented, while reactive control is stimulus-driven. Both types of control moderate the association between childhood BI and social anxiety in adolescence. The current study investigated the moderating role of cognitive control of the association between BI and social anxiety symptoms in emerging adults. We measured BI and social anxiety symptoms using self-report and administered the AX-Continuous Performance Task in an online study. We expected both types of control would moderate the association between BI and social anxiety symptoms. Contrary to our expectations, proactive control did not moderate the association between BI and social anxiety symptoms; however, additional analyses revealed reactive control plays a role in exacerbating social anxiety symptoms concurrently in emerging adulthood, suggesting reactive control may relate to the maintenance of social anxiety symptoms in emerging adults.