Abstract
One hundred thirty seven adolescents (
M
=
15.3
yrs,
SD
=
1.0
yr,
n
=
72 girls) were recruited into temperament groups when they were 4
months of age based on reactivity to novel auditory/visual stimuli (Fox, Henderson, Rubin, Calkins, & Schmidt, 2001). Behavioral inhibition was observed across infancy (14 and 24
months). Additionally, self-reported substance-related problems and behavioral risk-taking was assessed during adolescence. High behavioral inhibition increased risk for substance-related problems among boys, whereas high behavioral inhibition protected against substance-related problems among girls,
B
=
−
1.18,
SE
=
.48, 95% CI
=
−
2.13 to −.24;
p
<
.05. Additionally, high behavioral inhibition protected lower risk-taking children from adolescent substance-related problems whereas high behavioral inhibition increased risk for substance-related problems among higher risk-taking children,
B
=
.04,
SE
=
.02, 95% CI
=
.00 to .08. Findings from this prospective, multi-informant, longitudinal study suggest that risk-taking and gender may interact with temperamental traits to place adolescents at differential risk for substance-related related behavior problems.
►Early temperament traits may place adolescents at risk for greater substance-related problems. ►Higher behavioral inhibition may be a risk factor for substance-related problems for boys. ►Lower behavioral inhibition may be a risk factor for substance-related problems for girls. ►Risk for substance-use related problems was compounded at higher risk-taking propensity and BI.