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Temperament (psychology)
¶
(adapted from
Wikipedia
)
Alexander Thomas, Stella Chess Herbert G. Birch, Margaret Hertzig and
Sam Korn began the classic New York Longitudinal study in the early
1950s regarding infant temperament. The study focused on how
temperamental qualities influence adjustment throughout life. Chess,
Thomas et.al rated young infants on nine temperament characteristics
which by itself, or with connection to another affects how well a child
fits in at school, with their friends, and at home. Behaviors for each
one of these traits are on a continuum. If a child leans towards the
high or low end of the scale, while this is typical, it could be a cause
for concern. The specific behaviors are: activity level, regularity of
sleeping and eating patterns, initial reaction, adaptability, intensity
of emotion, mood, distractibility, persistence and attention span, and
sensory sensitivity.
Activity
level refers to the amount of physical energy in the child.
Does the child have to be constantly moving or do they have a relaxing
approach? A child who has high energy may have difficulty sitting still
in class, where a child with low energy can handle a very structured
environment. The former may use his or her gross motor skills more
frequently, such as running and jumping. Conversely, a child has a lower
activity level may rely more on fine motor skills, such as drawing and
putting puzzles together. This trait can also refer to mental activity,
such as deep thinking or reading, activities which become more
significant as the person matures.
Regularity
, also known as
Rhythmicity
refers to the level of
predictability in a childs biological functions such as waking,
becoming tired, hunger and bowel movements. Does the child have a
routine in their eating and sleeping habits or do they just seem to
happen whenever? A child who is predictable will need to eat at 2pm
everyday whereas a child who is less predictable will eat at sporadic
times throughout the day.
Initial reaction
is also known as
Approach or Withdrawal
. This
refers to how the child responds to new people or environments either
positive or negative. Does the child check out people or things in their
environment without hesitation or do they shy away? A child who is bold
will tend to approach things quickly as if without thinking. Whereas a
child who is cautious typically prefers to watch for a while before
engaging in new experiences.
Adaptability
refers to how long it takes the child to adjust to
change. This is different from what was mentioned above because
adaptability refers to the long term adjustment made after the childs
first reaction to the new situation. Does the child adjust to the
changes in their environment easily or are they resistant to what is
happening around them? For a child who adjusts easily they may be quick
or it may take no time at all to settle into a new routine. Whereas a
child who is resistant may take a long time to adjust to the situation.
Intensity
refers to the energy level of a positive or negative
response. Does the child react intensely to a situation or do they
respond in a calm and quiet manner? A child who leans more on the
intense side may jump up and down screaming with excitement. Whereas a
child who is mild mannered may just smile.
Mood
refers to the childs general tendency towards a happy or
unhappy demeanor. All children have a variety of emotions and reactions
that are opposite of each other such as cheerful and stormy, happy and
unhappy. Each child biologically tends to have generally a positive or
negative mood. Does the child express a positive or negative outlook? A
baby who may smile and coo all the time could be considered a cheerful
baby. Whereas a baby who cries or is fussy all the time may be
considered a stormy baby.
Distractibility
refers to the childs tendency to be sidetracked by
other things going on around them. Does the child get easily distracted
by what is happening in the environment around them or can they
concentrate despite the interruptions? A child that is easily distracted
notices everything going on around them and has a hard time returning
back to the task at hand, whereas a child that is rarely distracted has
the ability to stay focused and completes the task at hand.
Persistence & Attention Span
refers to the childs ability to stay
with a task through frustrations and length of time on the task. Can the
child stay with an activity for a long period of time or do they just
give up when they become frustrated? A child who is persistent can sit
and pull on their sock until the task is complete. Where a child who
tends to have a short attention span will just give up when they become
frustrated or distracted.
Sensitivity
refers to how easily a child is disturbed by changes in
their environment. It is also referred to as
Sensory Threshold
or
threshold of responsiveness
. Does the child get bothered by external
stimuli in their environment such as noises, textures, lights, etc. or
do they just seem not to be bothered by them at all and simply ignore
them? A child who is sensitive may be distracted by a door slamming and
will not be able to maintain focus, whereas a child who tends to not be
sensitive to external noises may be able to maintain his focus.
See also
¶
Temperament
the term as used in socionics