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Temperament

Temperament. “Early patterns of observable behavior that are presumed to be biologically based and that distinguish one child from another.” The “how” versus the “why” or “what” of behavior Child’s personal “style” of behavior. Sturm. History of Temperament.

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Temperament

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  1. Temperament • “Early patterns of observable behavior that are presumed to be biologically based and that distinguish one child from another.” • The “how” versus the “why” or “what” of behavior • Child’s personal “style” of behavior Sturm

  2. History of Temperament • Drs. Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess • New York Longitudinal Study • Analysis of parent interviews about infants and their characteristic responses to daily events • Followed children from infancy to adulthood • Nine traits of temperament and four broad categories or “profiles” were created

  3. Nine Temperamental Traits • Activity Level • Biological Rhythms or Regularity • Approach/Withdrawal • Intensity of Reaction • Sensory Threshold • Adaptability • Distractibility • Persistence • Mood

  4. Temperament Traits • Behavior should reflect overall style • Present across settings, not situational • Stable across time • Behavior identified in all children • Not redundant with another trait • Trait should have functional significance • Behaviors that reflect characteristics alter with development

  5. Activity Level • Motor component of behavior • Amount of active vs. sedentary periods • Child’s “idle speed” or general activity level

  6. Biological Rhythms • Predictability of biological functions • Appetite • Sleep • Toileting

  7. Approach/Withdrawal • Initial response to new stimulus • Child’s characteristic response to new situations or people

  8. Intensity of Reaction • Energy level of response • Child demonstrates upset strongly and dramatically or by just getting quiet?

  9. Sensory Threshold • Intensity of sensory stimulation required to evoked a detectable response • Sounds • Taste • Touch • Temperature changes

  10. Adaptability • How easily the child adapts to transitions and changes • Ease of which behavior can be changed from negative to positive

  11. Distractibility • Effectiveness of extraneous stimuli in drawing attention away from ongoing behavior

  12. Persistence • Length of time child continues an activity in the face of obstacles

  13. Mood • Tendency to react to world in a primarily positive or negative way • Amount of pleasant vs. unpleasant behavior

  14. Broad Categories • Easy • Slow to warm • Difficult • “Other”

  15. The “Easy” Child • Regular, predictable biological rhythms • Positively approaches new stimuli • Easily adapts to change • Mild to moderate mood expressions—predominately positive • Easy to manage • Represent about 40% of children

  16. “Slow to Warm” Child • Biological functions may or may not be regular • Initial negative withdrawal to new stimuli • Adapt slowly to change • Many negative mood expressions • Mood expressions are mild • Problems mostly with adapting to new stimuli • Often considered shy • Represent about 15% of children

  17. The “Difficult” Child • Irregular, unpredictable biological rhythms • Negative withdrawal to new stimuli • Poor adaptability to change • Negative emotional expressions and loud intensity • Difficult to manage • Represent about 10% of children

  18. The “Other” Category • Many children show a mixture of traits • These children don’t clearly fit into the three major temperament categories • Represent 35% of children

  19. www.childdevelopmentinfo.com

  20. Role of Temperament • Can determine caregivers’ reactions to the child • Affect how the child interprets and makes sense of life experiences • Shape the child’s active choices of certain activities and environments • Above may reinforce child’s temperamental ways of being Sturm

  21. “Disabilities may affect a child’s temperament. Children with disabilities are more likely to have difficult temperaments than children who are not disabled. Thus, interventions have to be tailored to adequately address temperament.” Chess & Fernandez, 1976; Coll et al. 1986

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