Quality of mood. The amount of pleasure, joyful, and friendly behavior, as contrasted with unpleasant, crying, and unfriendly behavior. The effectiveness of extraneous environmental stimuli in interfering with or in altering the direction of the ongoing behavior. Attention span and persistence. Two categories that are related.
Attention span concerns the length of time a particular activity is pursued by the child.
Persistence refers to the continuation of an activity in the face of obstacles to the maintenance of the activity direction. Typically, this comprises the combination of biological regularity, approach tendencies to new, quick adaptability to change, and predominantly positive mood of mild or moderate intensity. This is the opposite of easy temperament, namely biological irregularity, withdrawal tendencies to the new, slow adaptability to change, and frequent negative emotional expressions of high intensity. Comprises withdrawal tendencies to the new, slow adaptability to change, and frequent negative emotional reactions of low intensity. Click on the image to see the Toddler Temperment Style form.