Question

1. Describe 5 basic characteristics of temperament and the dimensions of ONE theory of Temperament that was discussed in class. (10 marks)

Answer 1

Like Eysenck, other biological theorists were interested in determining how many different temperaments there are. Statistical techniques such as the Factor Analysis have been applied but with mixed results. There is one theory, however, that seems to have a stronghold in this area. Using three dimensions: emotionality, activity, and sociability, the EAS temperament model was developed.Emotionality refers to a child’s emotional reactions to environmental stimuli. In other words, a child who is highly emotional may cry easily, be more fearful, get excited quickly, or exhibit other strong emotional responses. A child low on this temperament may seem more easy going, relaxed, and less interested in his or her surroundings. As an adult, high emotionality may be related to artistic endeavors, relationships, and career choice.Activity refers to a child’s level of energy. Those high in this temperament are seen as active, prefer physical activity and games, may be more fidgety or difficult to settle down. As adults, our temperament for activity plays a significant role in our career choice, hobbies and socialization.Finally, sociability relates to a person’s comfort and level of interaction with others. Obviously those high in this temperament will prefer group activities, team sports, and be more comfortable interacting in social settings. Those low on sociability may prefer solitary activities and experience anxiety around strangers or new situations. As adults, it is easy to see how our level of sociability can influence our friendships, careers choice, and hobbies.Characteristics of temperament include activity level, distractibility, adaptability,sensitivity and quality of mood. The three major types of temperament are easy, slow-to-warm-up and difficult.

In the 1960s, some psychologists in New York started the largest study of temperament ever conducted. It ran for three decades and assessed 131 babies from the age of three months until adulthood. At the end of the study, the researchers proposed the following nine characteristics of temperament:

• Activity level: how active the baby is
• Rhythmicity: how regular the baby’s sleep/wake and feeding routines are
• Distractibility: how easily the baby can be distracted from something they are doing
• Approach/withdrawal: how the baby responds to new experiences
• Adaptability: how the baby adapts to new situations
• Attention span/persistence: how persistent the baby is when faced with challenges
• Intensity of reaction: how intense the baby’s responses and emotions are
• Sensitivity: how sensitive the baby is to flavours, textures, and noises
• Quality of mood: whether the baby has a happy, positive mood most of the time or an unpleasant, negative mood most of the time

The characteristics of a baby’s temperament emerge very early in life, and they become more stable as the baby gets older.Thomas, Chess and colleagues interviewed parents about the behaviours of their two- to six-month-old infants, and through content analysis, identified nine temperament dimensions: activity level, rhythmicity, approach-withdrawal, adaptability, threshold, intensity, mood, distractibility and attention span-persistence.Thomas and Chess identified nine dimensions or qualities that help indicatetemperament, including: activity level, rhythmicity, distractibility, approach or withdrawal, adaptability, attention span and persistence, intensity of reaction, threshold of responsiveness, and quality of mood.