Differential Utility of Temperament-Based Guidance Materials for Parents of Infants.

Factors that influence the usefulness of individualized temperament guidance materials for parents of infants were explored. Parents received guidance materials based on their child's temperament and rated the usefulness of the materials. Most parents found the materials useful. Global perceptions of temperamental difficultness affected usefulness. Educational level was associated with usefulness; usefulness was not influenced by parity. The results suggest that temperament guidance materials may facilitate a better parent-child interactional "fit. " This study examined factors that influence how useful parents find individualized guidance materials that are based on the temperament of their child. The primary focus was on whether differential utility of these materials may be a function of the temperament of the child. In other words, do parents of "difficult" children find such individualized guidance particularly helpful relative to parents of "easy" children? Also, do parents in general find this type of individualized intervention useful? Finally, this study assessed the influence of level of education and parity on usefulness. The terms difficult and easy refer to how parents rate their child's temperament. Definitions of these terms vary depending on whether specific or global ratings are being considered. Global ratings of difficult or easy refer to parents' overall impressions of their child's temperament. Specific ratings, on the other hand, are based on parents' answers to specific questions about their child's behaviors. The child's particular style of behavior is classified into the nine temperament categories (activity level, rhythmicity, approach/withdrawal, adaptability, sensory threshold, mood, intensity of reaction, distractibility, and persistence) developed by Thomas, Chess, and Birch (1968). Designations of difficult and easy, in terms of specific ratings, are determined by whether the child's scores in five of these categories-adaptability, approach/withdrawal, mood, intensity, and rhythmicity (denoted as the "difficult cluster"-are high or low relative to the mean scale scores. A major factor influencing the usefulness of individualized guidance materials may be the temperament or behavioral style of the child (Chess & Thomas, 1984). A number of studies have demonstrated that parents' ratings of their child's temperament consist of both an objective and a subjective perceptual component (Bates & Bayles, 1984; Bates, Freeland, & Lounsbury, 1979; Hubert, 1989; Matheny, Wilson, & Thoben, 1987; Mebert, 1991; Mebert & Kalinowski 1986; Sameroff, Seifer, & Elias, 1982; Zeanah, Keener, & Anders, 1986). Temperament questionnaires base specific ratings of temperament on questions about actual behaviors to reduce the subjective influence, although it cannot be eliminated (Carey & McDevitt, 1978; McDevitt & Carey, 1981; Chess & Thomas, 1984). Parents who specifically rate their child difficult may find the guidance materials more useful since the behavior of difficult children is harder to understand, and behavioral management of these children is a greater challenge (Carey, 1986; Chess & Thomas, 1986; Turecki, 1989; Turecki & Tonner, 1989). Questionnaires may also ask for a global rating of the child's temperament. Specific ratings of temperament may be inconsistent with global ratings because parents' overall perception of their child's temperament may vary from how they see individual behaviors. Therefore, both types of ratings need to be considered as potential factors affecting the usefulness of the guidance materials (Carey, 1989a; Carey & McDevitt, 1978; Oberklaid, Sanson, Pedlow, & Prior, 1993; Sanson, Oberklaid, Pedlow, & Prior, 1991). Educational level of the parent has also been identified as a potential factor affecting the usefulness of written materials. The Cameron-Rice Infant (CAMINF66) Temperament Questionnaire (1986b) used in this study tested out at slightly above tenth grade reading level. …