Temperament

If you have been around various babies while they were growing up, you may have noticed that some are relatively [calm], easily [soothe|soothed], while others can be [agitate|agitated] quite easily, and be very [knickers in a twist|fussy]. Are you doing something [wrong]? Does it really mean anything? Lets take a look at some of these issues:

[Temperament] refers to how a child [behavior|behaves], as opposed to what they are doing or why they are doing it. An interesting fact to know about temperament is that upon [birth], infants will show a general [disposition], due to genetic factors, and this temperament actually lasts into [hell|adolescence]. (Studies done by: Rothbart & Bates, 1998; Lemery et al., 1999) However, this does not mean that a certain position of temperament is [permanent] and not subject to change. A child’s upbringing can drastically change their temperament. (Studies done by: McCrae et al., 2000) In fact, some [children] have a rather [dynamic] temperament, it changing rather fluidly as they [grow] older. (Studies done by: Rothbart, Derryberry, and Hershey, 2000)

There are many dimensions that [define] temperament, and because of this, Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess performed a large scale study of a group of infants that is known today as the New York Longitudinal Study, and they state that babies can be attributed to one of these profiles, of which I will [quote] directly (Feldman, pg. 204):

Easy Babies – [Easy] babies have a [positive] [disposition]. Their body functions operate regularly, and they are [adaptable]. They are generally positive, showing [curiosity] about new situations, and their [emotion|emotions] are [moderate] or [low] in [intensity]. This category applies to about 40 percent (the largest number) of infants.

Difficult Babies – [Difficult] babies have more [negative] moods and are [slow] to [adapt] to new situations. When confronted with a new situation, they tend to [withdraw]. About 10 percent of infants belong in this category.

Slow-to-warm – Slow-to-warm babies are [inactive], showing relatively [calm] reactions to their environment. Their moods are generally negative, and they withdraw from new situations, adapting slowly. Approximately 15 percent of infants are slow-to-warm.

Looking at the figures, I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering where the other 35 [percent] are, right? Well, that 35 percent of remaining infants cannot be consistently categorized. These remaining children show various mixes of characteristics from the above categories. To give an example, an infant may be mostly [happy], but [react] negatively to new situations, or others may just have very [unstable] temperament.

To give some more [insight] into the dimensions of temperament, here is an easy to refer to [chart] for your viewing convenience:

---------Dimensions of Temperament______________Dimension---------

Activity level ----------------------------------------------- The amount of [time] spent being [active], versus time spent inactive.

[Approach]-withdrawal ---------------------------------- How they [react] to a new [person] or [object], and is based upon whether they [accept] or withdraw from the person or object.

Adaptability ----------------------------------------------- How quickly and easily a child is able to [adapt] to changes in their environment.

Quality of [mood] ----------------------------------------- The [balance] between [friendly], [joyful] and [pleasant] [behavior] with [unpleasant], [unfriendly] behavior.

[Attention span] and [tenacity] -------------------------- How much time a child will spend on a certain activity, and the [effect] of [distraction] of the activity.

[distraction|Distractibility] --------------------------------------------- The susceptibility of behavior change when subjected to [stimuli] in their environment.

[Regularity] ------------------------------------------------ The regularity of general body functions (hunger, excretion, sleeping, waking)

Intensity of reaction ------------------------------------ Pretty self explanatory, how high an energy level the child has [Real men change diapers|in response to an event or stimuli]

[Threshold] of responsiveness ---------------------- How [intense] [stimulation] has to be to generate a [response].

Now things start to tie together and get a bit more [interesting]. By now you have probably figured out your own child’s temperament, and perhaps you are [concerned] if you have a rather difficult [baby]. However, it appears that no one type of temperament is invariably [good] or [bad]. Rather, it depends on just how well the baby’s particular temperament fits in with their environment. To give a couple of examples, if a child has a low activity level and doesn’t get [irritated] easily, he may do well within an environment that allows them to [explore] on his own and pretty much direct their own behavior. On the other hand, if you have a highly active, fussy child that grows irritated easily, they may do better with increased [direction] from the parents, allowing the child to [focus] that energy into [learning|particular directions].

According to the studies done by Thomas and Chess, they found that difficult babies were more likely to show behavior problems by the time they reached school age (5-6 years of age), than those that were profiled as easy babies. However, not all difficult babies manifest problematic behavior. The deciding factor appears to be the way that the parents react to the infants challenging behavior. If they react negatively, showing [anger] and being [inconsistent] - which can be easy to do, if a child is really difficult – then the child is much more likely to experience problems with their behavior. However, if the parents show more [love], [patience], and [consistency], the child will be more likely to [avoid] problems with behavior later on. (Studies done by: Belsky, Fish & Isabella, 1991; Teerikanges et al., 1998)

Another interesting thing to note is that different cultures view temperaments of [children] differently. For example, while one child here in the [Western culture] may be classified as difficult, they have an advantage within the East African Masai culture. The reason for this is that the mothers there only offer their [breast] for feeding when they [fuss] and [cry], so, the more [irritable] and difficult an [infant] is, the more likely they are to be [fed] as opposed to more [passive], easy infants. (deVries, 1984)

David Buss and Robert Plomin, in 1984, advanced a [theory] arguing that the temperamental characteristics represent inherited traits that are relatively stable throughout [childhood] and across the entire [life span]. These traits, they explain, make up the core of the [personality], and play a substantial role in [future] development.

Reviewing the above facts, [With great power comes great responsibility |the responsibility of raising a child well can rest heavily on a parent’s shoulders]. However, if you can identify your child’s temperament, and perhaps follow some of the advice written here or elsewhere, you will have a bit more peace of mind.

Next up: Attachment

Go back to [Infant Development: Chapter 2]

Sources:

Lecture notes from my Developmental Psychology class taught by S. Harrison, 9-24-2002, Evergreen Valley College, San Jose, California.

Feldman, S. Robert. Development Across the Life Span (3rd Ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Infant Development: Chapter 3 (thing)