The relationship between behavioral inhibition and activation systems and behavioral and emotional problems in adolescents

The role of behavioral inhibition and activation systems as predisposing factors in readiness for emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents has been increasingly studied in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of these two systems in predicting the development of psychopathology in adolescents.

Methods and Materials:

 The study population included all male and female junior high school students of Tehran. Multistage cluster sampling (with classification) was used to select 303 students (160 girls and 143 boys) from schools in 1st, 2nd and 13th districts of Tehran. The type of research design was descriptive-correlational. Participants completed youth self report questionnaire (YSR) and behavioral inhibition and activation scale (BIS/BAS). Descriptive (mean and standard variation) and inferential (correlation coefficient and regression analysis) statistical methods were used for data analysis.

The results showed behavioral inhibition systems to be positively related to anxiety and somatic problems and negatively related to symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. On the other hand, behavioral activation systems had a positive relationship with symptoms of conduct disorder and a negative relationship with affective problems. All relationships were statistically significant.

Our results, in agreement with previous studies, revealed that biological factors underlying behavioral inhibition and activation systems can be considered as predictive factors for emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents.