Temperament

List 3 things you learned from the Ted Talks video clip:

1. I learned that 50-60% of temperament comes from our genes.

2. The environment can also impact temperament.

3. A way to say that the temperament is adaptive is that the environment and trait
are a good fit.

PPT continues:

• Used to describe an array of long term and enduring features of behavior

• Building blocks for personality
• Seen from birth__
• Provides basis for involvement with the world
• Child’s temperament influences parent’s and teacher’s behavior
• “goodness of fit” is related to the child’s adjustment

“There is no evidence that the parents’ handling is the cause of the child’s
temperament. However the manner in which the parents or other caregivers respond
to the child’s temperament may modify, or even change, its expression.” (Thomas and
Chess)
Research by Thomas and Chess
• 133 infants at birth and studied into adulthood_
• Looked at traits which make people unique
• Found 9 dimensions of temperament or temperament traits
• Trait: a natural tendency to respond in a certain way
• Found 3 temperament types

Read pages 220 – 223 for more about the research of Thomas and Chess.

See Figure 10.1

What are the 9 characteristics of Temperament? (Also referred to as
temperament traits.)

1. Activity level
2. Rhythmicity
3. Approach-withdrawal
4. Adaptability
5. Attention span
6. intensity of reaction
7. threshold of responsiveness
8. distractibility
9. quality of mood

Temperament Tendencies
 (Now there is a new way of looking at Temperament) from PITC (Program for
Infant-Toddler Care, WestEd)

Activity Level:

“The vigor (intensity) and tempo (speed) of an individual’s motor movement and
vocal expression.” (PITC)

• Low in activity level:

• “May observe as well as move and vocalize more slowly and
quietly.”
• High in activity level:
• “May always be on the go as well as move and vocalize quickly and
loudly.”

Consider the questions, on the PPT, which are stated in a way for a child. Answer the
same questions about your temperament:

Are you always on the go? Yes

Are you intensely active most of the time or do you move slowly? Intensely
active.
Do you vocalize loudly or quietly? I vocalize loudly.
Do you typically move or vocalize quickly or slowly? Quickly.

Reaction to the Unexpected

• “The wariness or caution an individual experiences when faced with
unfamiliar people, objects, and situations.”
• Low reaction to the unexpected:
• unphased by new experiences
• May jump right in to participate.

• High reaction to the unexpected:

• May appear very wary
• cautious in new situations

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

When you encounter new activities, settings, people or objects, do you

appear fearful or distressed? Distressed
When you encounter new activities, settings people, or objects, do you
want in on the action? Yes, sometimes depends if I enjoy it like a new
activity.

Attention and Regulation

“The ability to voluntary regulate one’s own emotions and behavior, including the
ability to voluntarily focus, sustain, and switch attention.” (PITC)

• Low in attention and regulation

 • More like to move quickly from task to task
• May not effectively regulate behaviors and emotions

• High in attention and regulation

• More likely able to focus attention on things for long periods (for
their age)
• May regulate feelings and behaviors fairly easily

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

Do you keep attention or focus on an activity? Yes, I keep my focus and

attention.
Do you switch attention from one task to another or not, when asked?
Yes, I do and it’s quite easy for me.
Do regulate your emotions or behaviors fairly easily? Yes, I do.

Anger, Irritability, and Frustration

Under Anger, Irritability, and Frustration:

Emotional Intensity: The strength of an individual’s typical emotional
reaction.
• Low in emotional intensity:
• Mild emotional reactions such as a quiet frown in a frustrating
situation.
• High in emotional intensity:
• Strong emotional reactions such as stomping and sobbing in a frustrating
situation.

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

How intense are your emotional responses? I usually don’t burst out when
I’m angry I rather keep to myself.
Do you express anger, irritability, or frustration intensely or subtly? I
express this I a subtle way.

Under Anger, Irritability, and Frustration:

Emotional Threshold: What it takes to trigger an emotional response in
an individual.

• Low in emotional threshold:

• Easily emotionally triggered
• High in emotional threshold:
• Unlikely emotionally phased by most experiences

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

How much does it take to trigger an emotional response from you? It takes
a while for something to trigger an emotional response.
Does it take a little or a lot of provocation for you to show emotion? It
takes a little sometimes depending on how I am feeling.
Anger, Irritability, and Frustration
Emotional Duration: The length of time an individual’s emotional reactions
typically last

• Low in emotional duration:

• Shift emotions quickly after an emotional experience
• Though they may be very angry, anger subsides quickly.

• High in emotional duration:

• Long emotional experiences, like crying for extended period after a
conflict

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

How long does your emotional responses usually last? I usually get over
my emotional response really quickly.
If you are frustrated, will you stay frustrated for a long period or a short
period? Short period.

Exuberance, Enthusiasm, and Cheerfulness

Exuberance, Enthusiasm, and Cheerfulness

Emotional Intensity: The strength of an individual’s typical emotional reactions.

• Low in emotional Intensity:

• Mild emotional reactions, gentle smile in funny situation
• High in emotional intensity:
• Strong emotional reactions such as laughing or yelling in excitement

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

How intense are your emotional responses? I always have a strong

emotional response.
Do you express exuberance, enthusiasm, or cheerfulness intensely or
subtly? I express intensely.

Exuberance, Enthusiasm, and Cheerfulness

Emotional Threshold: What it takes to trigger an emotional response in an
individual.

• Low emotional threshold:

• Quickly and easily express these emotions
• High emotional threshold:
• Unlikely to be emotionally expressive in reaction to most experiences.

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament

How much does it take to provoke an emotional response from you? It

takes quickly.
 Does it take a lot or a little bit of provocation or stimulation for you to show
emotion? Little bit of provocation.

Exuberance, Enthusiasm, and Cheerfulness

Emotional Duration: The length of time an individual emotional reaction typically
last.

• Low in emotional duration

• Switch emotions quickly after an emotional experience

• High in emotional duration

• Low emotional reactions
• Cheerfulness throughout the day

Answer These Questions About Your Temperament:

How long do your emotional responses typically last? Just lasts a couple
minutes then returns to normal.
If you get excited, will the excitement persist? Or does it change quickly?
It persists for a couple minutes and then I continue on with my day.

After reading about Thomas and Chess research in the textbook, on pages 220-
223, how are the 9 temperament characteristics (traits) different from the “new
way” of looking at temperament explained in Slides 6 - 20? (Take some time to
reflect on this, go back and compare the 9 characteristics with Slides 6 – 20.)

Write your answer here (paragraph or 5 bullet statements):

I noticed that they differ by the first activity level is more in depth in the
new way. It doesn’t just talk about how much they move but also how they
vocalize. I also noticed that the 9 temperament characteristics are different by
the rhythmicity. The new way of looking at temperament doesn’t include this trait
and includes attention and regulation. I also noticed how the new one has high or
low in each trait, while in the book it just describes each trait. The new way of
looking at temperament is a bit better than in the textbook because it helps us
know what trait the child is showing.

Reminders;

• Case Study III Questions/Answers due this week. Submit to CANVAS,

under Assignments, under Case Study.

• Go to Discussion Post and share 3 things you learn about the child in your
Case Study. Then read the responses from other students, and write on
your Weekly Reflection Sheet, what you learned from other class
members!