Chilean Adaptation and Validation of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised Version.

Marianela Hoffmann,J Carola Pérez,Vania Martínez,Graciela Rojas,Catalina García

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02131

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop an adapted version of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R) that would be valid and reliable for assessing temperament and its components in Chileans between 12 and 18 years of age. Originally, Ellis and Rothbart (2001) developed this questionnaire (EATQ-R) to be used in North American adolescents. For the study in Chile, a translation protocol was developed, to maintain the original instrument's cultural and linguistic equivalence in the adapted version. Psychometric properties of the EATQ-R, such as factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity, were also assessed. The adaption and validation was carried out in two stages, with two different studies. The first study, which included 612 adolescent students from educational establishments in the cities of Santiago and Concepcion, Chile, developed the Chilean version of the 83-item EATQ-R, which has 13 dimensions, belonging to 4 theoretical factors with adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79–0.82). The second study assessed the questionnaire's convergent validity, through its application to 973 adolescent students in Santiago. Results show that the effortful control subscale was significantly inversely related to indicators of adolescent maladjustment, such as substance abuse and behavioral problems. In addition, it was directly associated with indicators of self-concept, including self-esteem and self-efficacy. The opposite pattern was observed when considering negative affect. These findings coincide with current knowledge on the relationship between temperament and adjustment in adolescents.

Highlights

Differences between children and adolescents have been partly explained in terms of their temperamental characteristics
The present study describes the adaptation and validation of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R) in Chilean adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) made it possible to determine whether the items translated into Spanish had item loadings for the same 13 dimensions proposed in the original version of the instrument

Summary

Introduction

Differences between children and adolescents have been partly explained in terms of their temperamental characteristics. The psychobiological model developed by Rothbart and her collaborators conceptualizes temperament as individual constitutional differences in reactivity and as the selfregulation of affect, activities, and attention-related processes (Rothbart and Bates, 2006; Rothbart, 2011). Constitutional aspects refer to the relative durability of biological influences on individuals, which is modeled by inheritance, maturation, and experience (Rothbart and Bates, 2006). Reactivity concerns the physiological excitability of neural systems, while self-regulation refers to processes that allow us to modulate this automatic and involuntary reactivity (Rothbart, 2011). Self-regulation includes the ability to direct one’s attention, inhibitory processes, and behavioral activation. Behavioral inhibition processes make it possible to suppress a dominant response when required, while behavioral activation processes let us initiate and sustain a non-dominant response (Rothbart and Rueda, 2005)

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