Shyness: Brain development and self-regulatory processes

Shyness reflects inhibition and avoidance in social situations. Although shyness is a ubiquitous phenomenon, relatively little work has been directed toward understanding the link between individual differences in brain development and children's shyness. This chapter discusses the relation between brain development and shyness. We review extant studies using resting frontal EEG alpha/delta ratio scores, as proxy of brain development, to understand children's and adolescents’ shyness. We suggest that maturation of self-regulatory processes linked to frontal lobe development play an important role in the origins and maintenance of children's shyness. We conclude with recommendations for future studies in this area of inquiry.