Information on temperament and how it effects personality development in children from Child Development Institute. Discusses how to understand your child's temperament and how to handle the difficult to raise child.
Activity Level: This is the
child's "idle speed or how active the child is
generally. Does the infant always wiggle, more
squirm? Is the infant difficult to diaper because of
this? Is the infant content to sit and quietly
watch? Does the child have difficulty sitting still?
Is the child always on the go? Or, does the child
prefer sedentary quiet activities? Highly active
children may channel such extra energy into success
in sports; may perform well in high-energy careers
and may be able to keep up with many different
responsibilities.
Distractibility: The degree of
concentration and paying attention displayed when a
child is not particularly interested in an activity.
This trait refers to the ease with which external
stimuli interfere with ongoing behavior. Is the
infant easily distracted by sounds or sights while
drinking a bottle? Is the infant easily soothed when
upset by being offered alternate activity? Does the
child become sidetracked easily when attempting to
follow routine or working on some activity? High
distractibility is seen as positive when it is easy
to divert a child from an undesirable behavior but
seen as negative when it prevents the child from
finishing school work.
Intensity: The energy level of
a response whether positive or negative. Does the
infant react strongly and loudly to everything, even
relatively minor events? Does the child show
pleasure or upset strongly and dramatically? Or does
the child just get quiet when upset? Intense
children are more likely to have their needs met and
may have depth and delight of emotion rarely
experienced by others. These children may be gifted
in dramatic arts. Intense children tend to be
exhausting to live with.
Regularity: The trait refers to
the predictability of biological functions like
appetite and sleep. Does the child get hungry or
tired at predictable times? Or, is the child
unpredictable in terms of hunger and tiredness? As
grown-ups irregular individuals may do better than
others with traveling as well as be likely to adapt
to careers with unusual working hours.
Sensory Threshold: Related to
how sensitive this child is to physical stimuli. It
is the amount of stimulation (sounds, tastes, touch,
temperature changes) needed to produce a response in
the child. Does the child react positively or
negatively to particular sounds? Does the child
startle easily to sounds? Is the child a picky eater
or will he eat almost anything? Does the child
respond positively or negatively to the feel of
clothing? Highly sensitive individuals are more
likely to be artistic and creative.
Approach/Withdrawal: Refers to
the child's characteristic response to a new
situation or strangers. Does the child eagerly
approach new situations or people? Or does the child
seem hesitant and resistant when faced with new
situations, people or things? Slow-to-warm up
children tend to think before they act. They are
less likely to act impulsively during adolescence.
Adaptability: Related to how
easily the child adapts to transitions and changes,
like switching to a new activity. Does the child
have difficulty with changes in routines, or with
transitions from one activity to another? Does the
child take a long time to become comfortable to new
situations? A slow-to-adapt child is less likely to
rush into dangerous situations, and may be less
influenced by peer pressure.
Persistence: This is the length
of time a child continues in activities in the face
of obstacles. Does the child continue to work on a
puzzle when he has difficulty with it or does he
just move on to another activity? Is the child able
to wait to have his needs met? Does the child react
strongly when interrupted in an activity? When a
child persists in an activity he is asked to stop,
he is labeled as stubborn. When a child stays with a
tough puzzle he is seen a being patient. The highly
persistent child is more likely to succeed in
reaching goals. A child with low persistence may
develop strong social skills because he realizes
other people can help.
Mood: This is the tendency to react to the world primarily in a positive or negative way. Does the child see the glass as half full? Does he focus on the positive aspects of life? Is the child generally in a happy mood? Or, does the child see the gall as half empty and tend to focus on the negative aspects of life? Is the child generally serious? Serious children tend to be analytical and evaluate situations carefully.