Social- Emotional Development: 1. Temperament

Question 1

What is temperament?

Answer 1

Definitions of temperament emphasise:

basic personality dispositions heavily influenced by genes.

stable, individual differences in quality and intensity of emotional reactions.

“Constitutionally based individual differences in emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity and self-regulation that demonstrate consistency across situations as well as relative stability over time.”

Question 2

Thomas, Chess and Birch (1968) (New York Longitudinal Study)

Answer 2

Aim:
(i) Identification of categories of temperament.

(ii) Determine effects of early temperament on development.

Method:

133 infants studied from early infancy to early adulthood.
Middle to upper middle-class infants.
3 point ratings of infant behaviour - Low, Medium, High.
Ratings made from parent interviews.

Question 3

The nine dimensions of temperament

Remembering many temperament dimensions is always an amazing achievement

Answer 3

Rhythmicity, Mood, Threshold of responsiveness, Distractibility, Intensity of reaction, Activity level, Approach or withdrawal, Adaptability, Attention span and persistence

Question 4

Activity Level

Answer 4

general level of motor activity when awake and asleep

Question 5

Rhythmicity

Answer 5

predictability of bodily functions such as appetite, sleep/wake cycle, and elimination patterns

Question 6

Approach or Withdrawal

Answer 6

child’s initial response to novelty: new places, situations, or things

Question 7

Adaptability

Answer 7

How easily a child adjusts to changes and transitions

Question 8

Threshold of Responsiveness

Answer 8

level of stimulation necessary to evoke a response.

Question 9

Intensity of Reaction

Answer 9

the reactive energy of a response, describes how expressive a child is.

Question 10

Mood

Answer 10

basic positivity or negativity

Question 11

Distractibility

Answer 11

ease with which the child can be distracted, or, conversely, his level of concentration or focus

Question 12

Attention Span and Persistence

Answer 12

the ability to continue an activity when faced with obstacles

Question 13

Findings on infant reactivity

Answer 13

Ratings tended to cluster into three temperament groupings

Easy (approx. 40%) – Flexible

Slow-to-warm-up (approx. 15%) – Fearful

Difficult (approx 10%) – Feisty

• doesn’t add up to 100% because some children are unable to be categorised

Question 14

What are the features of children categorised as ‘easy’?

Answer 14

readily adapt to new experiences, generally display positive moods and emotions and also have normal eating and sleeping patterns

Question 15

What are the features of children categorised as ‘slow-to-warm-up’?

Answer 15

low activity level, and tend to withdraw from new situations and people. They are slow to adapt to new experiences, but accept them after repeated exposure.

Question 16

What are the features of children categorised as ‘difficult’

Answer 16

very emotional, irritable and fussy, and cry a lot. They also tend to have irregular eating and sleeping patterns.

Question 17

What is goodness-of-fit?

Answer 17

Goodness-of-fit with parenting behaviour – the temperament mix between parents and children also affects family life.

For example, a slow paced parent may be irritated by a highly active child; or if both parent and child are highly active and intense, conflict could result.

Question 18

Some examples of items on the Carey temperament scales 4-11 month children

Answer 18

The infant is fussy on waking up and going to sleep (frowns, cries). MOOD
The infant moves about much (kicks, grabs, squirms) during diapering and dressing. ACTIVITY
The infant stops play and watches when someone walks by. DISTRACTIBILITY
For the first few minutes in a new place or situation (new store or home) the infant is fretful. APPROACH
The infant keeps trying to get a desired toy, which is out of reach, for two minutes or more. PERSISTENCE

Question 19

Some examples of items on the Carey temperament scales 3-7 year old children

Answer 19

The child holds back until sure of himself. APPROACH
The child will avoid misbehaviour if punished firmly once or twice. ADAPTABILITY
The child spontaneously wakes up at the usual time on weekends and holidays. RHYTHMICITY
The child becomes upset or cries over minor falls or bumps. THRESHOLD
The child speaks so quickly that it is sometimes difficult to understand him/her. ACTIVITY

Question 20

Australian temperament project

Answer 20

Aim:

Identification of categories of temperament.
Determine effects of early temperament on development

Also interested in pathways to adjustment and maladjustment

Method:

2443 infants aged 4-8 months in 1983.

Unbiased sample of Victorian Local Government Areas.

6 point rating scale of frequency of behaviour.

ratings from parent questionnaires.

Question 21

Australian temperament project definition of temperament

Answer 21

“Individual differences in attentional, emotional, and behavioural self-regulation, along with the relative level of emotional reactivity, which together give a unique flavour to an individual”

Question 22

Implications of the Australian Temperament Project

Answer 22

Description and classification of early behaviour.

A factor influencing later adjustment - research into:
reading difficulties
attention problems

Parental guidance:
match between infant temperament and parental practices (‘goodness-of-fit’)

Question 23

Findings from the Australian Temperament Project

Answer 23

Effective parenting is more crucial for some children than others.

Question 24

What are the current views on temperament?

Answer 24

While temperament has long been thought of as something innate, recent research has demonstrated that only some aspects are genetic, while others are environmental.

On the genetic side, as any parent will agree, much of an individual’s personality manifests very early on in the infant’s life. Parents with more than one child often note that one of their children seems easygoing from day one, but another child is demanding. One child may be outgoing and social, while their sibling may be more shy or withdrawn.

Current research tells us that a pregnant mother’s iron levels can affect the disposition of her child.

Emerging data gleaned from animal research indicates that the quality of maternal parenting styles, such as the way a mother nurses her infants or the amount of maternal grooming, affects the temperament of her offspring.

Question 25

What gives a child the best chance at developing a balanced temperament?

Answer 25

Every child – from shy to outgoing, from tense to easygoing – will have the best chance at developing a balanced temperament with:

Excellent nutrition

Logical, predictable rules for living with others

Optimal environments and schedules for sleep

Lots of interactive play with family and friends

Lots and lots of parental love and affection