Why it matters
Helps explain shyness, anxiety risk and sensitivity to novelty.
Core term · Jerome Kagan
Behavioral Inhibition
A tendency to withdraw, pause or show caution in unfamiliar situations.
Areas of life
Childhoodsocial lifeanxietyschool
How to handle it
Approach novelty gradually while building safety and mastery.
Who shaped this idea
The thinker behind it
From concept to practice
Turn Behavioral Inhibition into a question you can answer.
Psipas asks you one small, honest question at a time — and builds the picture from your answers.