Temperament

Question 1

What is personality?

Answer 1

an emergent property that is made up of both temperament and the development of an individual character based on their experiences

Question 2

What is Thomas and Chess’ definition of temperament?

Answer 2

the tendency to respond in characteristic and predictable ways to environmental events

Question 3

What was the research design of Thomas and Chess’ study?

Answer 3

longitudinal study in which they conducted clinical interviews with mothers of 2 to 3 month old infants, then continued interviewing children into infancy to adulthood

Question 4

What 9 dimensions did researchers assess in children in the Thomas & Chess study?

Answer 4

1. activity level
2. biological rhythmicity
3. approach/withdrawal
4. adaptability
5. intensity of reaction
6. quality of mood
7. persistence/attention span
8. distractability
9. sensory threshold

Question 5

What were the three temperament profiles in Thomas and Chess’ study?
(in order from most common to least common)

Answer 5

1. flexible (easy)
2. fearful (cautious)
3. feisty (difficult)

Question 6

What characteristics made up the flexible temperament profile?

Answer 6

• regular rhythms
• positive mood
• adaptability
• low intensity
• low sensitivity

Question 7

What characteristics made up the fearful temperament profile?

Answer 7

• adapts slowly
• withdraws

Question 8

What characteristics made up the feisty profile?

Answer 8

• active
• intense
• distractible
• sensitive
• irregular
• moody

Question 9

What was Kagan’s definition of temperament?

Answer 9

behavioral inhibition: a temperament that reflects one’s tendency to withdraw from unfamiliar people, situations, or things

Question 10

What characterizes inhibited temperament within 4 month olds?

Answer 10

upset at novel stimuli

Question 11

What characterizes inhibited temperament within 1-2 year olds?

Answer 11

shy, fearful of unfamiliar situations, people, toys

Question 12

What characterizes inhibited temperament within 4.5 year olds?

Answer 12

little talking or smiling with strangers

Question 13

What characterizes uninhibited temperament within 4 month olds?

Answer 13

no negative reaction to novelty

Question 14

What characterizes uninhibited temperament within 1-2 year olds?

Answer 14

little fear of new situations or people

Question 15

What characterizes uninhibited temperament within 4.5 year olds?

Answer 15

spontaneous talking, smiling

Question 16

What behavior did the unreactive infant exhibit at ten years old when in a room with the researcher?

Answer 16

made conversation, talking and laughing

Question 17

What behavior did the reactive infant exhibit at ten years old when in a room with the researcher?

Answer 17

uncomfortable, short responses, antsy

Question 18

What is heterotypic continuity?

Answer 18

same temperament presents itself differently as different traits throughout infancy, childhood, and adulthood

Question 19

What is the function of the amygdala?

Answer 19

responsible for emotional responses and autonomic responses to fear (i.e. fight or flight)

Question 20

How does the amygdala control inhibition?

Answer 20

fear response is prematurely triggered consistently over time

Question 21

True or False:
There is no sensitive period for amygdala development.

Answer 21

False
There is a sensitive period for the amygdala’s development before the age of 4.

Question 22

When is the most rapid rate of amygdala development?

Answer 22

early postnatal period

Question 23

The amygdala is more activated within uninhibited/inhibited individuals.

Answer 23

inhibited

Question 24

What is Fox’s definition of temperament?

Answer 24

the tendency to express particular emotions with a certain intensity that is unique to each individual

Question 25

What is emotion?

Answer 25

reflects a kind of motion outward | calls us to action

Question 26

What three characteristics describe emotion?

Answer 26

* inferred * reactive * functional

Question 27

What is the importance of emotion?

Answer 27

* essential for survival * help us navigate the world * rapid system

Question 28

True or False: Emotions work faster than cognitive processes.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

What two components make up emotion processing?

Answer 29

reactivity and regulation

Question 30

What is reactivity?

Answer 30

individual differences in the **emotional arousability** of a child | how easily the child is moved to action

Question 31

What is regulation?

Answer 31

individual differences in **managing** these reactive emotional tendencies

Question 32

What are Rothbart's 4 dimensions of temperament?

Answer 32

* low reactivity/low regulation * low reactivity/high regulation * high reactivity/low regulation * high reactivity/high regulation

Question 33

What characterizes low reactivity/low regulation?

Answer 33

* withdrawn * not excited by surroundings * don't take any action

Question 34

What characterizes low reactivity/high regulation?

Answer 34

* more fearful and controlled * not easily impressed * high level of regulation

Question 35

What characterizes high reactivity/low regulation?

Answer 35

* risk of developing attention/hyperactivity problems * stimulation easily excites them * lack self-regulation toward adpative goals

Question 36

What characterizes high reactivity/high regulation?

Answer 36

* optimal temperament * easily impressed by events in environment * self-regulate and use excitement toward goal-directed behavior

Question 37

The ____ is responsible for reactivity. The ____ is responsible for regulation.

Answer 37

amygdala; prefrontal cortex

Question 38

How do infants self- regulate before their prefrontal cortex is developed?

Answer 38

* newborns: caregivers help infants self regulate by controlling exposure to stimulating events * 6 months: avert gaze and self-soothing * 1-2 years: turn attention to non-distressing objects or people to distract themselves

Question 39

True or False: Self-regulation increases with age.

Answer 39

True

Question 40

How do the prefrontal cortex and amygdala work together?

Answer 40

the prefrontal cortex facilitates or attenuates the amygdala during emotional regulation

Question 41

It is easier to ____ negative emotions.

Answer 41

increase

Question 42

What is top-down regulation?

Answer 42

prefrontal cortex activates the amygdala to regulate emotions | i.e. decreasing negative emotions

Question 43

What is bottom-up regulation?

Answer 43

reflexive/autonomic processes are processed by the amygdala | i.e. increasing negative emotions

Question 44

True or False: Temperament is an exclusively genetic phenomenon.

Answer 44

False Temperament is an interaction of genes and the environment.

Question 45

What did the Rhesus monkeys experiment tell us about temperament?

Answer 45

prenatal environment affects temperament