Parent and Teacher Ratings of Temperamental Disposition to Social Anxiety: The BIS 3–6

Behavioral inhibition (BI) discourages children from interacting, predisposing them to isolation, social anxiety, and depression. We have created the Behavioral Inhibition Scale for Children Aged 3 to 6 (BIS 3–6) to detect this trait early. Parents and teachers of 365 preschoolers completed different versions of the BIS 3–6 and provided measures of psychopathology. Both versions are structured into 1 factor that explains over 40% of total variability and displays excellent internal consistency (α = .95). The moderate correlations with measures of internalizing symptoms (r = .50) and nonexistent correlations with externalizing measures suggest adequate convergent and discriminant validity. A new scoring system is proposed.     

The Behavioural Inhibition Scale for Children Aged 3 to 6 (BIS 3-6): Validity Based on Its Relation with Observational Measures

The aim of this study is to explore the concurrent validity of the Behavioral Inhibition Scale 3-6 (BIS 3-6), a scale created for the early detection of the temperamental disposition toward social anxiety. Seventy-three participants were randomly selected from a wide sample of preschool-age children to undergo systematic observation using the Behavioral Inhibition Paradigm. Parents and teachers rated the BIS 3-6. Clinicians and researchers also measured behavioral inhibition. The BIS 3-6 scores correlate between r?=?0.2 and r?=?0.6 with the observational indicators, and all correlations are in the expected direction. A discriminant analysis supports a good capability of the BIS 3-6 scores to identify extreme inhibition. Consistent with previous research and given the discrepancy among parent and teacher reports and observational measures, the moderate convergence among the BIS 3-6 trait-measurements and the observational state-measurements support the validity of the BIS 3-6 scores. This study advances the validation process for a new tool intended to early detect impairing behavioral inhibition.     

Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Model and Child Psychopathology: Laboratory and Questionnaire Assessment of the BAS and BIS

The Behavioral Approach System (BAS) and Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) are widely studied components of Gray's sensitivity to reinforcement model. There is growing interest in integrating the BAS and BIS into models of risk for psychopathology, however, few measures assess BAS and BIS functioning in children. We adapted a questionnaire measure and reaction time task from adult studies to assess the BAS and BIS in a sample of 9-12 year olds (N = 63; 42% female). A continuous performance task was also administered to assess physiological correlates of the BAS and BIS. Factor analysis supported 3 subdimensions of the BAS (Drive, Reward Responsivity, and Impulsivity/Fun seeking), and one dimension of the BIS (sensitivity to punishment). Results supported the utility of the questionnaire measures and reaction time task as assessments of BAS and BIS functioning. Moreover, these measures were associated with internalizing and externalizing problem behavior as expected. High levels of impulsivity/fun seeking, but not drive or reward responsivity, were associated with high levels of externalizing problems, whereas high levels of sensitivity to punishment were associated with high levels of internalizing behavior problems. The relation between physiological indices and caregiver reports of the BAS, BIS, and problem behavior were complex and not consistent with expectation.     

Psychometric evaluation of the behavioral inhibition/behavioral activation scales in a large sample of outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders

The latent structure, reliability, and validity of the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scales (BIS/BAS; C. L. Carver and T. L. White, 1994) were examined in a large sample of outpatients (N = 1,825) with anxiety and mood disorders. Four subsamples were used for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In addition to generally upholding a latent structure found previously in nonclinical samples, results indicated measurement invariance of the BIS/BAS between genders and a higher order structure of the BAS scales. Convergent and discriminant validity of the BIS/BAS were supported by findings that the subscales correlated most strongly with measures of neighboring personality constructs (e.g., BIS with neuroticism, BAS with positive affect) than with measures of current anxiety and depression symptoms. Overall, the results support the psychometric properties of the BIS/BAS in this clinical sample.     

Distinguishing between learning and motivation in behavioral tests of the reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality

According to Gray's (1973) Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST), a Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and a Behavioral Activation System (BAS) mediate effects of goal conflict and reward on behavior. BIS functioning has been linked with individual differences in trait anxiety and BAS functioning with individual differences in trait impulsivity. In this article, it is argued that behavioral outputs of the BIS and BAS can be distinguished in terms of learning and motivation processes and that these can be operationalized using the Signal Detection Theory measures of response-sensitivity and response-bias. In Experiment 1, two measures of BIS-reactivity predicted increased response-sensitivity under goal conflict, whereas one measure of BAS-reactivity predicted increased response-sensitivity under reward. In Experiment 2, two measures of BIS-reactivity predicted response-bias under goal conflict, whereas a measure of BAS-reactivity predicted motivation response-bias under reward. In both experiments, impulsivity measures did not predict criteria for BAS-reactivity as traditionally predicted by RST.     

A Short Measure of the Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory – RSQ17

The need for a research and practical tool, such as a short, reliable, and valid personality assessment test, suggests researchers to create shortened versions of original instruments. Reinforcement sensitivity questionnaire (RSQ) was created in line with some basic premises of revised Reinforcement sensitivity theory, which proposes three motivational and emotional systems: Behavioral inhibition system (BIS), responsible for scanning environment for potential threats, Behavioral activation system (BAS), responsible for aproaching behavior, and the Fight/Flight/Freeze system (FFFS), responsible for behavior in the present threat. RSQ comprises five scales: BIS, BAS, Fight, Flight, and Freeze. The aim of this study was to develop a short version of RSQ, which would be beneficial to both research and practical purposes. Item response theory analyses were used for item selection. The study comprised two samples of participants, whereby Sample 1 (N = 837, 34.6% male, aged 18 – 82, M = 31.63, SD = 13.54) served as the derivation sample, while Sample 2 (818 participants, 43.6% male, 18?75 years, M = 29.65, SD = 12.52) served as validation sample. Factorial validity of the short RSQ was examined on both Sample 1 and Sample 2. Convergent and divergent validity of the short RSQ was examined using RST-PQ, Jackson-5, BIS/BAS scales, and Big Five Inventory. The results point to satisfactory internal consistency, factorial validity, and construct validity of the short RSQ, suggesting that it is an adequate measure for research settings or other contexts which require the use of short personality questionnaires.     

Response Inhibition and Measures of Psychopathology: A Dimensional Analysis

On the basis of Quay's (1988a, 1988b, 1993, 1997) model in which the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) are linked to various forms of child psychopathology, predictions were made regarding the relation between inhibitory control and two dimensions of psychopathology: externalizing and internalizing behavior. Inhibitory control was measured using two versions of Logan and Cowan's stop signal paradigm (1984; Logan, Cowan, & Davis, 1984; Osman, Kornblum, & Meyer, 1986, 1990). The primary outcome measure for the stop tasks was stop signal reaction time (SSRT) which measures the latency of the inhibition process. A positive relationship was predicted for externalizing behavior, whereas a negative relationship was predicted for internalizing behavior. A total of 42 non-clinical elementary school children, in the age range of 6 to 12 years, participated in the study. Externalizing behavior was positively related to response inhibition. Symptoms of ADHD seem to be better at predicting inhibitory functioning than symptoms of aggressive behavior disorders. Some support was found for a negative relation between internalizing behavior and inhibitory control. These findings support Quay's model and the discriminant validity of inhibitory control with regard to externalizing and internalizing behavior.     

Response inhibition and measures of psychopathology: a dimensional analysis.

On the basis of Quay's (1988a, 1988b, 1993, 1997) model in which the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) are linked to various forms of child psychopathology, predictions were made regarding the relation between inhibitory control and two dimensions of psychopathology: externalizing and internalizing behavior. Inhibitory control was measured using two versions of Logan and Cowan's stop signal paradigm (1984; Logan, Cowan, & Davis, 1984; Osman, Kornblum, & Meyer, 1986, 1990). The primary outcome measure for the stop tasks was stop signal reaction time (SSRT) which measures the latency of the inhibition process. A positive relationship was predicted for externalizing behavior, whereas a negative relationship was predicted for internalizing behavior. A total of 42 non-clinical elementary school children, in the age range of 6 to 12 years, participated in the study. Externalizing behavior was positively related to response inhibition. Symptoms of ADHD seem to be better at predicting inhibitory functioning than symptoms of aggressive behavior disorders. Some support was found for a negative relation between internalizing behavior and inhibitory control. These findings support Quay's model and the discriminant validity of inhibitory control with regard to externalizing and internalizing behavior.     

Coping, mood, and aspects of personality in Spanish translation and evidence of convergence with English versions

Research on stress and its influence on health and well-being has flourished for several decades, examining as predictors such psychosocial variables as personality and coping. This work now often targets multiethnic samples. Because many potential participants lack facility in English, a need exists for translations of measures into other languages. We translated 6 instruments into Spanish and studied their characteristics. Of these, 3 were measures of personality qualities: the Life Orientation Test--Revised (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scales (Carver & White, 1994), and the Measure of Body Apperception (Carver et al., 1998). The others were the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), the Center for Epidemiological Studies--Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977), and an abbreviated version of the Profile of Mood States (McNair, Lorr, & Droppelman, 1971). Correlations between English and Spanish versions in bilingual samples were all above. 72, except for the COPE's Behavioral Disengagement scale. Alpha reliabilities of the Spanish versions were comparable to those of the English versions. Correlations among measures in a sample of cancer patients were similar across languages.     

Exploring Behavioral Activation and Inhibition Sensitivities Among College Students at Risk for Bipolar Spectrum Symptomatology

We explored cross-sectionally the roles in bipolar spectrum symptomatology of two broad motivational systems that are thought to control levels of responsiveness to cues of threat and reward, the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Activation System (BAS). Undergraduate students (n = 357) completed questionnaires regarding (a) bipolar spectrum disorders [the General Behavior Inventory (GBI), a well-established clinical screening measure], (b) current depression and mania symptoms (the Internal State Scale; ISS), and (c) BIS/BAS sensitivities (the BIS/BAS scales). Validated cutoff scores on the GBI were used to identify individuals at risk for a mood disorder. It was hypothesized that, among at-risk respondents, high BAS and low BIS levels would be associated with high current mania ratings, whereas low BAS and high BIS would be associated with high current depression ratings. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, among at-risk individuals (n = 63), BAS accounted for 27% of current mania symptoms but BIS did not contribute. For these individuals, BAS and BIS were both significant and together accounted for 44% of current depressive symptoms.     

Behavioral activation and inhibition in everyday life

Joint effects of daily events and dispositional sensitivities to cues of reward and punishment on daily positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) were examined in 3 diary studies. Study 1 showed that positive events were strongly related to PA but not NA, whereas negative events were strongly related to NA but not PA. Studies 2 and 3 examined how the dispositional sensitivities of independent appetitive and aversive motivational systems, the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), moderated these relationships. Participants in Study 2 with higher BAS sensitivity reported more PA on average; those with more sensitive BIS reported more NA. Also, BIS moderated reactions to negative events, such that higher BIS sensitivity magnified reactions to negative events. Study 3 replicated these findings and showed that BAS predisposed people to experience more positive events. Results demonstrate the value of distinguishing within-person and between-person effects to clarify the functionally independent processes by which dispositional sensitivities influence affect.     

Psychopathic features in a juvenile diversion population: reliability and predictive validity of two self-report measures

The reliability and predictive validity of two experimental self-report versions of two measures of psychopathic features in youth, the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD: Frick & Hare, 2001) and a modified version of the Child Psychopathy Scale (CPS: Lynam, 1997) were examined in a sample of 69 arrested youth (M age = 14.4 years) referred to a juvenile diversion program. Parents or legal guardians completed parent-rating versions of the same measures. Reliability indicators for the APSD total measure were satisfactory although internal consistency indices (coefficient alpha) for the Callous/Unemotional and Impulsive/Conduct Problems scales were slightly lower than desirable. Reliability indicators for the CPS were excellent after deleting items that had poor corrected item-to-CPS total score correlations. Positive and statistically significant correlations for all measures were obtained with prospective measures of program failure (range 0.22-0.36) and rearrest at 1 year follow-up (range 0.33-0.56). Although further research is needed prior to the clinical use of these measures, these results signal the potential of such measures to inform clinical judgments regarding treatment compliance and risk with justice-involved youth.     

BIS/BAS Levels and Psychiatric Disorder: An Epidemiological Study

Behavioral inhibition and behavioral activation levels have been theorized to relate to a broad range of psychopathologies. To date, however, studies have focused on a single diagnosis, and the measures used to assess different psychopathologies have varied greatly. This study assessed how levels of behavioral inhibition and behavioral activation relate to lifetime diagnoses of depression, anxiety, drug abuse and dependence, alcohol abuseand dependence, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder. A representative community sample of 1,803 individuals between the ages of 19 and 21 in the Miami area was surveyed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation Scales (BIS/BAS; C. S. Carver & T. White, 1994). Results supported the role of BIS as a vulnerability factor for depression and anxiety and of BAS Fun Seeking for drug abuse and noncomorbid alcohol diagnoses. Other models were not supported. Goals in understanding BIS and BAS are described, including the need for prospective studies with a broader array of behavioral indices.     

PREFRONTAL BRAIN ASYMMETRY:

Abstract— Resting anterior brain electrical activity, self-report measures of Behavioral Approach and Inhibition System (BAS and BIS) strength, and general levels of positive and negative affect (PA and NA) were collected from 46 unselected undergraduates on two separate occasions. Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures of prefrontal asymmetry and the self-report measures showed excellent internal consistency reliability and adequate test-retest stability. Aggregate measures across the two assessments were computed for all indices. Subjects with greater relative left prefrontal activation reported higher levels of BAS strength, whereas those with greater relative right prefrontal activation reported higher levels of BIS strength. Prefrontal EEC asymmetry accounted for more than 25% of the variance in the self-report measure of relative BAS-BIS strength. Prefrontal EEG, however, was not significantly correlated with PA or NA, or the relative strength of PA versus NA Posterior asymmetry was unrelated to the self-report measures.     

BIS/BAS responses to emotional cues: Self report, autonomic measure and alpha band modulation

The study explored the effect of the subjective evaluation and of BIS/BAS (Behavioral Inhibition and Activation System) differences on psychophysiological and brain oscillation measures, in response to pleasant/unpleasant and high/low arousing stimuli. Skin conductance response, heart rate, and electromyography, and alpha frequency band, were registered, during viewing IAPS figures. Both BIS and BAS measures were significant in modulating behavioral, autonomic and brain responses, with a clear dichotomy BAS-appetitive/positive BIS-withdrawal/negative sensitivity. Withdrawal (BIS) and appetitive (BAS) behavior showed opposite patterns of responses by the subjects within the frontal cortical site more than other sites. In addition, a specific frontal lateralization effect was found as a function of BIS (more right-side activation for negative cues) and BAS (more left-side activation for positive cues). Moreover, autonomic variables and frequency band were found to be effected by arousal rating per se, with an increased response to high arousal in comparison with low arousal and neutral stimuli. The effects of subjective evaluation and individual differences were discussed in the light of the coping activity of emotion comprehension.     

BIS/BAS responses to emotional cues: Self report,autonomic measure and alpha band modulation

The study explored the effect of the subjective evaluation and of BIS/BAS (Behavioral Inhibition and Activation System) differences on psychophysiological and brain oscillation measures, in response to pleasant/unpleasant and high/low arousing stimuli. Skin conductance response, heart rate, and electromyography, and alpha frequency band, were registered, during viewing IAPS figures. Both BIS and BAS measures were significant in modulating behavioral, autonomic and brain responses, with a clear dichotomy BAS-appetitive/positive BIS-withdrawal/negative sensitivity. Withdrawal (BIS) and appetitive (BAS) behavior showed opposite patterns of responses by the subjects within the frontal cortical site more than other sites. In addition, a specific frontal lateralization effect was found as a function of BIS (more right-side activation for negative cues) and BAS (more left-side activation for positive cues). Moreover, autonomic variables and frequency band were found to be effected by arousal rating per se, with an increased response to high arousal in comparison with low arousal and neutral stimuli. The effects of subjective evaluation and individual differences were discussed in the light of the coping activity of emotion comprehension.     

The effects of behavioral inhibition/approach system as predictors of Internet addiction in adolescents

This study aimed to determine how the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) affect Internet addiction in adolescents. Two hundred and eleven high school students participated in this study and completed the Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), BIS/BAS scales, and several self-administered questionnaires about depression, anxiety, and impulsivity. Hierarchical regressions showed that BIS and BAS × BIS emerged as significant predictors of IAT; however, only BAS-fun seeking subscale predicted IAT among BAS related subscales. In further analyses, the BAS-fun seeking subscale was mediated by impulsivity and anxiety, and BIS was mediated by anxiety and depression. The current findings imply that BIS and BAS interdependently influence vulnerability to Internet addiction through both shared (anxiety) and different (depression and impulsivity, respectively) pathways.     

Psychometric Properties of the Dutch BIS/BAS Scales

This study examined the reliability, factor structure, and convergent validity of the Dutch version of C. S. Carver and T. L. Whites (1994) Behavioral Approach System and Behavioral Inhibition System Scales (BIS/BAS Scales). For this purpose, the BIS/BAS Scales, a shortened version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory (DII) were administered to 246 undergraduate students in The Netherlands. The internal consistency of the BIS/BAS Scales was sufficient. Further, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Dutch BIS/BAS Scales have a factor structure similar to the English version. Finally, BIS/BAS Scales were found to correlate in a theoretically meaningful way with extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism, and impulsivity.     

Responsiveness to Threat and Incentive in Bipolar Disorder: Relations of the BIS/BAS Scales with Symptoms

Over the past 10 years, theorists have suggested that bipolar disorder symptoms result from increases and decreases in the activity of the Behavioral Activation or Facilitation System (BAS or BFS) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS). These neurobehavioral systems are thought to determine the intensity of affective and behavioral responses to incentives and threats. This study examined cross-sectional and prospective associations of self-reported BIS and BAS with mania and depression in a sample of 59 individuals diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder. Depression was tied to BIS, pointing to the importance of sensitivity to threats in depression. However, links between BIS and depression appeared state-dependent. BAS subscales did not correlate with manic symptoms in a state-dependent manner; however, BAS (total scale and reward responsiveness subscale) predicted relative intensification of manic symptoms over time. Thus, evidence suggests that BAS sensitivity may constitute a vulnerability to mania among persons diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Discussion focuses on the integrative potential of the BIS/BAS constructs for linking psychosocial and biological research on bipolar disorder.