Types

Types of Temperament

"A plea for the study of individual differences becomes a plea for the recognition of parameters."

Ignoring the lack of constancy in agreement on what variables constitute temperament and concomitant general definition, numerous authors typify temperament based on the premise that temperament refers to characteristic patterns of behavior. Chess and Thomas (1991) identify three temperaments in relation to their "goodness of fit" concept. "easy temperament comprises a combination of regularity, positive approach responses to new stimuli, quick adaptability to change, mildly or moderately intense mood that is preponderantly positive." Difficult temperament, "which comprises irregularity in biological functions, negative responses to new stimuli or people, slow adaptability to change, and intense mood that is frequently negative." Slow-to-warm-up temperament, "comprises negative responses of mild intensity to the new, with slow adaptability after repeated contact" (p.17).

As Bates (1986) observes,

"...the most widely used concept in the temperament literature is difficultness. Difficult temperament is rather unique in the temperament area. It is not a simple descriptor of what we usually think of as a temperament trait, in the sense of being primarily a concept that encapsulates the challenge of the child's characteristic emotional patterns for parents and other caregivers"

Bates suggests that adults with negative reactions,

"...to the new and slowly adaptability may be very shy and even timid, have difficulty in social interactions and turn down new jobs or promotions if they are unfamiliar, especially if they have had many unpleasant and distressing experiences of being forced too quickly into new situations when growing up. If however, their temperament traits have been recognized and respected by parents and teachers, and they have been allowed to adopt comfortably at their own pace, the story of adult life will be different. The person may get to know that his first negative reactions to the new are only temporary, and will be able to participate actively in such situations, whether socially or at work, because he knows from his life experiences that the initial discomfort will disappear and he will then master and enjoy them. In adult life, high distractability and low persistence can easily make the individual vulnerable to poorness of fit. In our culture the traditional work ethic emphasizes persistent and concentrated attention to a task until it is completed. Unfortunately, all too often, parents, teachers, or employers may pay too much attention to such a person's inability to stick to a task to completion without any diversion, and lose sight of the fact that she does finish the assignment successfully and reliably"

Talwar, Nitz and Lerner (1991) ask, "what influences whether a given attribute is regarded as easy or difficult by a parent, teacher, or peer. What gives a given temperament attribute its particular meaning?" (p.30). Super and Harkness (1982, 1988) point out that "the developing person's context is structured by three kinds of influences: the physical and social setting; culturally regulated customs involved in socialization; and the 'psychology' of the caregivers or the other significant people with who the developing person interacts" (p.33). This psychology is termed ethnotheory, "that is, significant others' preferences, aversions, beliefs, or expectations ergarding the meaning of significance of particular behaviors. Together, the three types of influences compromise the developmental niche of the person, that is, the set (or sets) of structured demands on the developing person" (Talwar, Nitz & Lerner, 1991, p.33).

Hofstee (1991) proposes a personalogical approach in viewing behavioral traits. "[actor][behaved in a certain way] because he or she is [trait], for example: The reason Mary hit John is that she is aggressive." Or more sincinctly, "Jane hits John because she tends to do that sort of thing" (p.178).

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