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Assessment of Temperament Hedwig Teglasi 1995 ERIC Digest EDO-CG-95-15 Assessment of Temperament Hedwig Teglasi Temperament refers to basic dimensions of personality that robust dimensions emerging from the factor analytic study of are grounded in biology and explain individual differences in childhood temperament resemble the Big Five factors identi- the developmental process rather than universal dynamics. fied in the study of adult personality and suggest a tempera- While these dimensions show continuity over time, they are mental underpinning to personality. subject to change with maturation and experience. The view of Buss and Plomin (1984) emphasized the two criteria of early behavior as a function of the organism and of the environment appearance and heritability as defining properties of tempera- is basic to psychology. Accordingly, temperament serves as a mental traits and developed a measure based on the following mechanism to explain how individuals contribute to their own three dimensions: emotionality, activity, and sociability (EAS). development in a given environmental context. Harmony be- Factor analysis of a selected set of items from the EAS and the tween persons and their surroundings is produced through bi- nine-dimensional model (ages 1-6) suggested the following fac- directional interplay between inborn, temperamental attributes tors: emotionality, soothability, activity, attention span, and so- and external demands, supports, and circumstances. ciability (Rowe & Plomin, 1977). Temperament is generally identified with: a) the compo- Rothbart and Derryberry (1981) defined temperament as nents of personality that are biological in origin (e.g., Buss & constitutionally based individual differences in reactivity and Plomin, 1984); b) traits that are relatively stable, cross self-regulation (influenced over time by heredity, maturation, situationally consistent, and evident throughout the age span and experience). Reactivity refers to the activation of motor, and diverse cultures (Rothbart & Derryberry, 1981); and c) the affective, autonomic, and endocrine systems. Self-regulation style (how) rather than the content (what) or purpose (why) of refers to the processes that modulate reactivity such as atten- behavior (Thomas & Chess, 1977). In contrast, personality serves tion, approach-withdrawal, inhibition, and self-soothing. This as a central organizer of behavior that influences the expression framework broadens the possibility of identifying temperament of temperamental traits. Thus, personality determines the spe- dimensions to include those that do not appear within the first cific content and purpose of behavior. years of life. Furthermore, this approach promotes the applica- Temperament is currently an active area of research with tion of research in areas such as emotion and cognition to refine documented applicability to a variety of developmental and temperament dimensions. In developing a series of tempera- mental health outcomes such as conscience formation, peer in- ment questionnaires for various ages, Rothbart and her col- teraction, behavior problems, school achievement, psychopa- leagues identified as many as 15 dimensions of temperament, thology, and vulnerability as well as resistance to stress. Given some of which are refinements of those previously identified that temperamental extremes constitute risk factors, specific such as emotionality (see Goldsmith & Rothbart, 1991). temperament dimensions can be flagged as early precursors of What Issues Remain in Assessing Temperament? impaired adjustment. One problem in the assessment of temperament is that Although the importance of the construct is well estab- measures for older children have been either upward extensions lished, unresolvedconceptual issues and problems with mea- of temperament constructs and scales derived from observa- surement limit the applicability of this knowledge by practitio- tions on infants and toddlers or based on biological models with- ners. The many choices of dimensions identified as separate out regard to development. An emphasis on early appearing elements, how they should be combined, and their proper mea- traits precludes the consideration of characteristics that may be surement given these choices constitute a continuing debate. genetically programmed to emerge later in time and disregard Reviews of available instruments document their problems in- of developmental processes excludes from consideration age- cluding inconsistent stability, low interrater reliability, and ques- related variation in the expression of temperament. Develop- tions about construct validity (Slabach, et al., 1991). Neverthe- mental changes in the elicitors of temperamental responses such less, increasing use of temperament scales call for research to as fear or pleasure have been studied in the early years through elaborate and refine conceptualizations to develop improved contrived laboratory situations, but such prototypical situations measures, and to incorporate temperament constructs in theo- at later ages remain to be determined. ries of personality as well as in the design of prevention and intervention strategies. Response parameters need to reflect the greater complex- ity and differentiation of behavior with development. Com- What is the Structure of Temperament? monly assessed response parameters in laboratory studies with The nine-dimensional model of Thomas & Chess (1977) has young children have been duration, latency, and intensity. How- been the basis for the development of the most popular mea- ever, other parameters that tap the greater organization of be- sures of temperament in the United States. The nine dimen- havior with development might entail modulation, self-regula- sions are: mood, approach-withdrawal, intensity, threshold, tion, or attunement to context Furthermore, age and rater dif- rhythmicity, distractibility, attention span, persistence, and ferences in the meaning of specific items on scales have not been adaptability. However, substantial overlap found among some investigated. of these dimensions has led to questions about their validity as How Are Temperament and Personality Related? separate constructs. Factor analyses suggest (see review by Martin, et al., in press) that these nine dimensions separate into Despite efforts to distinguish between temperament and five robust factors and two factors that are less consistent across the more general concept of personality, the contrast between measures and ages. The five robust factors are: i them is obscured by the following (see Prior, 1992): a) a com- nhibition (approach-avoidance), negative emotionality, adapt- mon descriptive vocabulary; b) overlapping concepts; and c) ability, activity level, and task persistence. The two less consis- failure of empirical data to differentiate between temperament tent factors are: threshold and biological rhythmicity. The five and personality on the basis of biological factors. The concept of self-regulation, widely studied as a personality Conclusions variable, has also been regarded as a temperamental trait. Self-regu- Temperament is a compelling framework within which to study lation as a personality construct appears to be defined in general the contribution of individual differences to the developmental pro- terms encompassing the manner in which an individual thinks, feels, cess. The documented association of temperament traits with di- acts, and reacts. The temperament view refers to the basic processes verse outcomes linked with normal development and psychopa- involved in optimizing stimulation, alertness, and affective arousal. thology have left no doubt about the value of this construct. Future Needed is an explanation of how the basic response styles iden- refinements in definitions and measurement as well as a better un- tified as temperamental traits express themselves in larger units of derstanding of how temperament exerts its influence will promote functioning such as self-regulation in the broader sense. Tempera- greater application of these concepts to designing programs for pre- ment contributes to the coherence of the individual’s current func- vention and intervention in mental health and educational settings. tioning and to both continuity and lawful changes in the develop- References mental process. The individual’s current state (personality) can be framed in terms of unfolding processes (continuous interaction be- Buss, A., & Plomin, R. (1984). Temperament: Early personality traits. tween person and environment) that led to its development. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum. How do temperament dimensions exert their influence? Goldsmith, H. H., & Rothbart, M. K. (1991). Contemporary instru- ments for assessing early temperament by questionnaire and The mechanisms by which temperament dimensions exert their in the laboratory. In A. Angleitner & J. Strelau (Eds.), Explora- influence on broader areas of functioning are less well understood tions in temperament: International perspectives on theory and mea- than the traits themselves. Martin (1994) reviewed two possible surement. New York: Plenum. causal linkages between temperamental dispositions and children’s common problems in educational settings that focus on the inter- Martin, R. P. (1994). Child temperament and common problems in play of temperament with the environment: schooling: Hypotheses about causal connections. Journal of School Psychology, 32, 119-134. 1) Some components of the environment strengthen tempera- mental dispositions because the environment that is actually
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