Do you have a shy little one you hope will emerge from his shell? Or a rambunctious child you pray will mellow with age? Well, a new study found that kids' personalities seemed largely set by the time they hit preschool. The researchers divided the kids into three groups: undercontrolled (more aggressive, loud, and impulsive); overcontrolled (shy, withdrawn, and unspontaneous); and resillient (the lucky socially adept ones.) They asked teachers and parents about kids at ages 4, 5, and 6, and then followed the for 19 years. They discovered the resillient kids stayed that way, and the shy ones maintained that trait as well, though they could learn to be more outgoing over time.
However, there was an exception: The undercontrolled kids became more withdrawn, possibly as a response to negative feedback from peers over the years. All did seem to turn out fine though, and having a job in high school helped both under- and overcontrolled folks with aggression. And there is some criticism of the study: One researcher says they should have looked at social class too, because kids from middle and upper class backgrounds tend to be more confident once they develop an awareness of their social standing. But hey, as a shy, withdrawn kid who most people would now characterize as anything but, I believe change is possible for anyone, if only in behavior, not how you feel inside.
