# 12 - 4. Temperament

# 4. Temperament

© SPMM Course 
4. Temperament 
This is an aspect of personality studied in infants. It describes individual differences in 
behavioural style. Certain aspects of temperaments remain stable over many years. Infant’s 
negative emotionality (e.g. fear), and reactions to new situations (inhibition or neophobia) are the 
two most stable temperaments. 
New York Longitudinal Study is a key study on childhood temperament conducted by Thomas 
& Chess. It is a thirty years (initially 6 years) longitudinal study of 138 children, observing 
childhood temperaments. It employed parental interviews to ascertain temperamental 
dimensions – 9 such dimensions have been used: 
1. Activity 
2. rhythmicity 
3. approach/withdrawal 
4. adaptability 
5. intensity 
6. threshold 
7. mood 
8. distractibility 
9. attention span / persistence 
Three behavioural styles were identified using the above 9 dimensions 
1. Easy – rhythmic pattern of needs, adapts well, and active – 40% 
2. Difficult – less predictable, uncomfortable with new experiences, negative mood, react 
intensely to stimuli, difficult to comfort – 10% 
3. Slow to warm up children – adapts poorly to change, but less active and responds at 
low intensity – 15% 
4. Ungrouped – 35% 
Difficult temperament may offer some survival benefits as mother pays more attention – 
especially in tribal populations. Inhibition (approach/withdrawal dimension), according to 
Keagan, is a strongly inborn trait. Behavioural inhibition may be a precursor for later neurotic 
disorders including anxiety and depression. In an extreme form of inhibition called neophobia, a 
child appears frozen and withdrawn in novel situations. 
Goodness of fit (Thomas & Chess) describes the reciprocal relationship between a baby’s 
temperament and its social environment whereby a good match between the both results in 
positive development later. Chess and Thomas used the term especially to refer to the 
harmonious interaction between a mother and a child.