Anxiety and stress-reactive personality traits such as harm avoidance are frequently observed in the offspring of alcoholics, as are low self esteem, negative affectivity, and impairments in emotional regulation (Fine et al. 1976; Finn et al. 1997; Moos and Billings 1982; Ohannessian and Hesselbrock 1995; Steinhausen et al. 1984). Hill et al. (1999b) found that 5 year old high-risk children from multiplex alcohol dependent families exhibit a higher frequency of behavioral inhibition in a peer play setting modeled after the observational paradigm developed by Kagan et al. (1984). Behavioral inhibition is a moderately stable temperamental characteristic characterized by a restrained, cautious, or fearful reaction to unfamiliar people, places, or objects. Behaviorally inhibited children are described as shy and avoidant, and are at greater risk for developing an overanxious disorder in adolescence (Rosenbaum et al. 1991; Schwartz et al. 1999).
