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Daylength during pregnancy and shyness in children: Results from Northern and Southern hemispheres
Author(s) -
Gortmaker Stephen L.,
Kagan Jerome,
Caspi Avshalom,
Silva Phil A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2302(199709)31:2<107::aid-dev3>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - shyness , psychology , pregnancy , developmental psychology , biology , psychiatry , anxiety , genetics
An extreme degree of shyness in young children is a temperamental trait under modest genetic influence and characterized by distinct physiological profiles. Data from both the United States and New Zealand indicate that maternal exposure to short daylength during pregnancy, especially the midpoint of gestation, predicts an increased risk of subsequent shy behavior in children. Estimates of attributable risk indicate that approximately one‐quarter of shyness prevalence can be linked to pregnancy during times of reduced daylength. This phenomenon might be mediated by changing concentrations of melatonin, serotonin, or other neurotransmitters or corticoids that are known to covary with seasonal variations in daylength. ©1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 31: 107–114, 1997