Child Temperament Research Articles

Child surgency and child aggression: The moderating effect of parental nurturance, emotion coaching, and family income

According to the goodness-of-fit development theory, a mismatch between child characteristics and socialization processes tends to lead to child maladjustment. The present study aimed to examine whether the association between child surgency and child aggression varies as a function of parenting styles and practices such as parental nurturance and parental emotion coaching. In addition, family economic background was examined as a contextual moderator. Cross-sectional questionnaire data were collected from parents and class teachers of 288 preschoolers (Mage = 5.2 years; 53 % were boys) in Hong Kong, China. Separate multilevel models were run to test parental nurturance, emotion coaching, and family income level as moderators. Results indicated that controlling for confounding variables, child surgency was only positively associated with child aggression when parental nurturance was low, but not when parental nurturance was high. However, this pattern only emerged in high- and medium-income families, but not in low-income families. A similar but different pattern was observed for parental emotion coaching: regardless of family income level, child surgency was only associated with child aggression when parental emotion coaching was low, but not when it was high. Theoretically, our findings highlight the importance of considering the fit between child temperament and environmental features, such as parenting and family economic background, in understanding child development. Practically, our findings point to the utility of helping parents to express their love and affection and to talk to their children about managing emotions to reduce aggression in preschool-aged children, especially those with high surgency and economic advantages.

Profile of Your Children's Temperament

Profile of Your Children's Temperament

Child temperament influence on social and emotional development of children in different ECCE centers

Child temperament influence on social and emotional development of children in different ECCE centers

Prenatal buds of conditional regard and autonomy support: Associations with postnatal parenting and child adjustment.

Toddlerhood is a period where issues of autonomy and control in parent-child relationships become particularly intense. In response to these challenges, some parents adopt controlling practices, whereas others are more autonomy supportive. However, research has yet to examine prenatal orientations that foreshadow specific controlling or autonomy-supportive parental practices in toddlerhood and children's socioemotional functioning. In particular, literature on early childhood socialization lacks sufficient evidence on the effects of the controversial controlling practice of parental conditional positive regard. To increase our knowledge on these issues, we examined reports provided by Israeli Jewish mothers during their first pregnancy (N = 294), at 18-month postpartum (N = 226), and when the child was 42 months old (N = 134). To control for child temperament, both parents reported 8-month postpartum (N = 235) on infant temperament dispositions, which may act as precursors of later socioemotional functioning. Structural equations modeling revealed that a general prenatal maternal orientation to use conditional regard as a socialization practice predicted mothers' use of the specific practices of conditional positive and negative regard with toddlers, which then predicted internalizing problems when children reached the age of 42 months. Additionally, a general prenatal orientation toward autonomy-supportive parenting predicted mothers' perspective taking with toddlers, which then predicted children's prosocial behavior at 42 months. The effects emerged also after controlling for infants' temperamental dispositions toward negative emotionality and positive affect. Findings underlie the potential role of prenatal orientations toward conditional regard and autonomy support that, when later transform into specific early parenting practices, may serve as early markers of child socioemotional adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Child inhibited temperament and caregiver distraction encouragement jointly predict children’s delay of gratification competencies

A cool attentional focus during the classic delay of gratification (DG) task involves shifting attention away from the emotion-arousing features and is a key mechanism that underlies children’s ability to resist temptation and wait. Yet, we know relatively little about what gives rise to individual differences in cool focus in the first place. The current study (N = 162, Mage = 6.86 years) addressed this question by focusing on key aspects of child temperament (i.e., behavioral inhibition, BI) and caregiver emotion socialization (i.e., distraction encouragement) as joint predictors of cool focus. We theorized that because children are left alone in an unfamiliar environment for an undefined duration, the DG task would be especially taxing for children higher in BI, hindering their ability to deploy a cool focus and wait. We also reasoned that caregiver encouragement of distraction would serve as a protective factor by allowing children higher in BI to more easily activate a cool focus even when experiencing a taxing task. Results were partially consistent with these hypotheses, shedding new light on precursors to a central ingredient of DG ability.

Child temperament as a longitudinal predictor of mother–adolescent interaction quality: are effects independent of child and maternal mental health?

Adaptive parent–child interaction plays a major role in healthy child development. Caregiver mental health problems can negatively impact parent–child interaction. In turn, interactional quality is often studied as a predictor of child outcome. However, child characteristics supposedly shape parent–child interactions as well. Given associations between child and caregiver mental health and child temperament, this study aimed at differentiating their effects on dyadic interaction quality in adolescence. Child temperament and character at age 5 were investigated as longitudinal predictors of observed mother–adolescent interactional quality at age 14 in a community sample (N = 76). It was examined whether these effects were independent of maternal and child mental health and earlier dysfunctional interaction. Lower novelty seeking, higher reward dependence, and higher cooperativeness separately predicted higher dyadic interactional quality at age 14. Controlling regressions for dysfunctional interaction at age 5, which was a significant negative predictor of later interactional quality, cancelled out the effects of novelty seeking and cooperativeness. Past or concurrent maternal or child psychopathology did not explain variance in mother–adolescent interaction. Applying backward selection, a model including reward dependence and dysfunctional interaction at age 5 and concurrent maternal stress showed the best fit for explaining dyadic interaction quality. Results suggest that enduring rather than transient child features predict interactional quality in a community sample. Effects of temperament are not better explained by those of psychopathology, but a combination of child, maternal, and dyadic features predicted dyadic behaviour best. Selective prevention should target parenting in the context of challenging child characteristics specifically.

Children's task persistence in first grade: The role of parent-child and teacher-child relationships

The present study investigated the extent to which the quality of both parent-child and teacher-child relationships uniquely and interactively relates to a child's task persistence in first grade. Furthermore, the study also examined the role of a child's task persistence in the quality of their relationships with their parents and teachers after controlling for the child's gender, temperament, academic performance, and parental education level. The study followed Lithuanian children from the beginning (T1, n = 337) to the end (T2, n = 341) of first grade, along with their parents (T1, n = 347; T2, n = 323) and first-grade teachers (T1, n = 24; T2, n = 25). At the start of first grade, the children completed reading, spelling, and math (i.e., addition and subtraction) performance tests. The parents and teachers filled out questionnaires at the beginning and end of these students’ first-grade academic year. The parents reported on the quality of their relationships with their children and on their children's temperament, while teachers reported on their relationship quality with each student and their task persistence. First, the results indicated that a conflictual relationship between the students and their teachers was related negatively to subsequent task persistence. Second, the moderation results indicated that if the teacher-child relationship was close, then a close parent-child relationship longitudinally was related positively to the children's task persistence. Third, the results indicated that a child's higher level of task persistence was associated longitudinally with a closer relationship with their first-grade teachers.

How energy balance-related behaviours, temperament, stress and overweight associate: a cross-sectional study of Finnish preschoolers.

This study aimed to (1) examine the clustering of energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB) and (2) investigate whether EBRB clusters, temperament and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) associate with overweight. We assessed food consumption using food records, screen time (ST) using sedentary behaviour diaries, sleep consistency and temperament (negative affectivity, surgency, effortful control) using questionnaires and HCC using hair samples. Accelerometers were used to assess physical activity (PA) intensities, sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Researchers measured each child's weight and height. We used finite mixture models to identify EBRB clusters and multilevel logistic regression models to examine the associations between EBRB clusters, temperament, HCC and overweight. The cross-sectional DAGIS survey, data collected in 2015-2016. Finnish 3-6-year-olds (n 864) recruited through preschools. One-third of the participants were categorised into the cluster labelled 'Unhealthy diet, excessive screen time', characterised by unhealthy dietary choices (e.g. greater consumption of high-fat, high-sugar dairy products) and longer ST. Two-thirds were categorised into the second cluster, labelled 'Healthy diet, moderate screen time'. PA and sleep were irrelevant for clustering. Higher negative affectivity and lower effortful control associated with the 'Unhealthy diet, excessive screen time' cluster. EBRB clusters and HCC did not associate with overweight, but surgency was positively associated with overweight (OR = 1·63, 95 % CI 1·17, 2·25). Of the EBRB, food consumption and ST seem to associate. As temperament associates with EBRB clusters and overweight, tailored support acknowledging the child's temperament could be profitable in maintaining a healthy weight.

Factors associated with contemporary fatherhood.

The most prevalent conceptualization of parenting of our time is intensive parenting which refers to parents' overinvolvement in children's lives, placing the child's needs before others' needs, including the needs of the parents themselves (i.e., Child-centrism). Intensive parenting is mostly attributed to mothers as they are still bearing the bulk responsibility for child rearing. Nevertheless, as the role of fathers changed in recent decades it is crucial to examine intensive parenting among fathers and understand whether factors that are associated with intensive mothering are associated with intensive fatherhood as well. The current study uses Belsky's Process of Parenting model to fill-in the gap. Participants were 301 Israeli fathers of preschool children aged 22 to 50 years old (M=36.34, SD=5.01). They filled out online self-report questionnaires dealing with intensive parenting style, child temperament, social support, marital satisfaction, and parental self-efficacy. The model explained 64% of paternal child-centrism. Fathers who reported having children with more difficult temperament, reported low social support, low marital satisfaction, and low self-efficacy, were more intensive in their parenting style. The present findings are discussed in relation to previous findings regarding maternal child-centrism with an emphasis on their important implications for professionals working with families for the benefit of parents' and children's wellbeing.

Do temperament trajectories from late childhood through adolescence predict success in school? Findings from a longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth.

School achievement has long-term consequences for occupational success, mental health, and overall psychological adjustment. The present study examined the association between temperament trajectories from late childhood through adolescence and academic outcomes during late adolescence and young adulthood. Data come from the California Families Project, a longitudinal study of 674 Mexican-origin youth assessed 12 times from Age 10 to 23, and from school records. Results from latent growth curve models indicate that higher levels of Effortful Control (EC) at Age 10 were associated with better academic achievement (i.e., higher high school grade point average and test scores, greater likelihood of high school graduation and college attendance) in late adolescence and young adulthood. Higher levels of Negative Emotionality (NEM) at Age 10 were associated with worse academic achievement, but this effect did not hold for all facets of NEM. Neither the levels nor slopes of Positive Emotionality (Surgency, Affiliation) consistently predicted school achievement. There were no main effects of the EC or NEM slopes; however, statistically significant interactions between these slopes and parental monitoring emerged. When parental monitoring was low, youth who experienced greater increases in EC (vs. flat or decreasing slopes) had better academic achievement, and youth who experienced greater increases in NEM had worse academic achievement; in contrast, when parents closely monitored their children, changes in EC and NEM were only weakly associated with achievement. Overall, these findings demonstrate that temperament in late childhood, and changes in temperament across adolescence, have important prospective effects on academic achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Elevated level of prenatal testosterone and vitamin D3 deficiency during pregnancy, in the presence of prenatal maternal stress, and their association with the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like symptoms in toddlers.

To investigate the hypothesis that the presence of prenatal maternal stress, increased level of prenatal testosterone, and low level of vitamin D3 in pregnancy is associated with the development of ADHD-like symptoms in toddlers (< 2 years old). The study group comprised 53 pregnant women and 53 infants of these pregnancies. The population cohort of 53 pregnant women were recruited at their 35th to 37th week of pregnancy and investigated prospectively. The participants were selected through targeted selection. Maternal experience of stressful life events was assessed by stress standardised questionnaires, prenatal testosterone was determined in the mothers' saliva by using the immune enzymatic (ELISA) method, and maternal plasma D vitamin was measured using the ECLIA method, during pregnancy. When the age of the offspring was 6 months and then less than 2 years, the mothers completed the child behaviour and temperament checklist. A small but statistically significant association was found between the common symptom complex of ADHD and the level of testosterone and vitamin D3, in the presence of prenatal maternal stress. Multiple regression analysis showed that maternal stressful events during pregnancy significantly predicted ADHD behaviours in offspring. The study supported the hypothesis that prenatal maternal stress, increased level of prenatal testosterone, and low level of vitamin D3 during pregnancy increases the risk of development of ADHD-like symptoms in toddlers (< 2 years old). Also, the obtained results support the hypothesis that the influence of prenatal factors causes ADHD-like symptoms in offspring through a programming effect.

Maternal Parenting Styles and Middle Childhood Temperament Patterns: A Comparison Between Two Social Classes Residing in an Urban Community

Background: Parenting refers to the usual approaches that parents use in child rearing and is one of the many aspects that play a role in the development of both adaptive and maladaptive behavior in children and adolescents. Parenting styles may be authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive. Temperament refers to the stylistic aspect of behavior and individual differences in behavioral characteristics. This study aimed to compare maternal parenting styles and childhood temperamental patterns between two socioeconomic classes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Sixty mothers from middle and lower socioeconomic status residing in an urban community in Hyderabad were chosen for the study. Data was collected from January to February 2020. Every participant was a mother of two children in the age group 6–12 years. A semi-structured intake proforma was used, along with the Temperament Measurement Schedule and Parental Styles Questionnaire. Factorial ANOVA was used to explore the differences among the different groups. Results: In 76% of the participants, the predominant parenting style was found to be authoritative. Statistically significant differences in parenting styles were seen between the middle and low socioeconomic status groups. Parenting styles differed with the gender of the child. The education of the mother influenced the parenting style. Illiterate participants and participants who did not have at least tenth-grade education had an authoritarian parenting style. Second-born children scored high on the sociability factor compared to firstborn children. The difference between first- and second-born children was statistically significant. Socioeconomic status and the gender of the child had a statistically significant association. Conclusions: Parenting is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by many factors, social class being one such factor.

Maternal aggression and child temperament in families with ARFID children in Indonesia

Aggressive behavior in parenting is a crucial factor for the temperament of children. This study evaluated the relationship between the mother's aggressive behaviors and her children's temperament. The research design applied a cross-sectional survey by using multistage sampling. Two hundred forty-five participants joined this study by responding to a questionnaire. Good aggressive behaviors from caregivers to protect children against physical and psychological harm and danger were observed in mothers aged 26-35 (89.9%) and well-educated mothers (96.8%). The data showed that 4.54 (± 0.912) mothers protect their children from unhealthy foods. The temperament of children was not related to age (p-value = 0.372), mothers' educational background (p = 0.824), and mothers' job status (p = 0.705). Family income had no relation with the child's temperament (p-value = 0.253). There was no relationship between mothers' aggressive behaviors and the temperament of children in avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) child cases. The number of children and the aggressive behavior from the mother affected the child's temperament. This study contributes insight into the interplay between a mother's aggressive behaviors and her children's temperament. Subsequent research could delve deeper into specific factors influencing children's temperament in the ARFID case.

The price of addiction: Pakistani children paying the cost of tobacco use with their temperament.

Madam, Tobacco smoking is a significant public health concern and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 942 million men and 175 million women aged 15 or older smoke tobacco and more than seven million people per annum die due to tobacco usage. In Pakistan, the prevalence of tobacco smoking is reported to be 13.4%, according to the NDSP survey (1) Research has shown that exposure to second and third-hand smoke can adversely effect children’s temperament and neurobehavioral outcomes. For instance, a study using the 2007 NSCH found that children exposed to second or third-hand smoke are at a 50% increased risk of developing neurobehavioral disorders such as ADHD or learning disabilities (2). Furthermore, E. Melinda et al. reported that exposure to tobacco smoke in children led to a statistically significant increase in developmental delay along with depression, intellectual learning and speech disabilities among others. (3) Childhood temperament has also been found to significantly impact adult temperament, as demonstrated by a cohort study that followed children from 3 years onwards to 26 years of age. Children classified as under-controlled at age 3 went on to display irritable, impulsive, emotionally labile, and unpredictable personality traits as adults. Similar correlations were found in children labelled as inhibited. Other temperament groups such as confident, reserved, and well-adjusted did not show significant personality profile changes, but a noticeable continuity was observed in each group (4). To decrease children's exposure to tobacco, parental awareness campaigns may be helpful. An RCT by Viki Myers et al. found that educating parents exploratively about tobacco exposure led to changes in parental smoking behaviour (5). So raising parental cognisance, essentially, can decrease neurobehavioral and temperamental issues in children and ultimately, adults. Hence, continually raising awareness about the detrimental effects of exposing children and individuals to tobacco smoking is a key method to reform a healthy environment for children.

Development, psychometric evaluation, and factor analysis of an instrument measuring quality of life in autistic preschoolers.

Early interventions for autistic children should target their quality of life (QoL) but require adapted measures. The association of a child's temperament and parental characteristics with the QoL of autistic children remains unknown. We constructed an autism module based on a thematic analysis, a Delphi survey with experts, and a pre-test with parents to be completed alongside the proxy version of the PedsQL 4.0. We explored compliance, responsiveness, internal consistency, convergent validity, and factor structure with 157 parents of autistic preschool children. We examined the association between child and parental characteristics with the QoL of autistic children using correlation analysis, principal component analysis, hierarchical ascending classification, and linear regression. Sociodemographic information was collected via multiple choice questions, autism severity via Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)scores, and parental acceptance and child's temperament via the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire and the Emotionality, Activity, and Sociability. An autism module comprised of 27 items emerged. Psychometric evaluation resulted in a 24-item autism module with good internal consistency and significant convergent validity. ADOS total score was not significantly related to QoL, contrary to children's sleep issues, children's emotionality, and parental acceptance. The autism module is a reliable QoL proxy measure for autistic preschool children. Results suggest parental interventions targeting children's QoL.

NILAI-NILAI FILOSOFIS EMOSI SEBAGAI DASAR BIMBINGAN MENTAL ANAK DI SMK PONDOK PESANTREN AL FALLAH LAMPUNG TENGAH

The role of school institutions in the mental formation of children has long been played by formal institutions. Essentially, every school has forms of local wisdom that are inherent and serve as a resilience system in dealing with a variety of problems. What drove this study was the existence of problems that occur in the SMK Ponpes Al Falah: first, the emotional temperament of children that sometimes leads to fatalism. Second, the child conflict that always reappears occurs between fellow friends and between good classmates sons and daughters who always justify the right. Third, the internal conflict in the classroom that sometimes does not end is caused by the individual's emotions being less able to control themselves.Philosophical values become the form of local norms used by the head of school and teachers in school institutions. Using interpretative analysis of data from observations and interviews, the study found that the philosophical values adhered to by the school's institution formed the foundation for addressing a variety of problems. The study found that the philosophical values adhered to by the school institutions form the foundation for addressing a variety of problems. The principal, who also serves as a dynamic force in this study, has important roles to play in terms of socialisation, integration, normative influence, and social control. The use of philosophical values in this article successfully demonstrates that philosophical values as a form of mechanism in mental formation can address social problems in the school environment.

Longitudinal and Concurrent Effortful Control as Predictors of Risky Bicycling in Adolescence: Moderating Effects of Age and Gender.

Collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles are one of the leading risk factors for injury and death in childhood and adolescence. We examined longitudinal and concurrent effortful control (EC) as predictors of risky bicycling behavior in early- to mid-adolescence, with age and gender as moderators. We also examined whether EC was associated with parent-reported real-world bicycling behavior and all lifetime unintentional injuries. Parent-reported EC measures were collected when children (N = 85) were 4 years old and when they were either 10 years (N = 42) or 15 years (N = 43) old. We assessed risky bicycling behavior by asking the adolescents to bicycle across roads with high-density traffic in an immersive virtual environment. Parents also reported on children's real-world bicycling behavior and lifetime unintentional injuries at the time of the bicycling session. We found that both longitudinal and concurrent EC predicted adolescents' gap choices, though these effects were moderated by age and gender. Lower parent-reported early EC in younger and older girls predicted a greater willingness to take tight gaps (3.5 s). Lower parent-reported concurrent EC in older boys predicted a greater willingness to take gaps of any size. Children lower in early EC started bicycling earlier and were rated as less cautious bicyclists as adolescents. Adolescents lower in concurrent EC were also rated as less cautious bicyclists and had experienced more lifetime unintentional injuries requiring medical attention. Early measures of child temperament may help to identify at-risk populations who may benefit from parent-based interventions.

The moderating effect of parenting efficacy on the relationship between child's temperament and parental depression

BackgroundAccording to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Korean Survey of Children (2018), 13.7% of the primary caregivers experienced depression. Depression experienced by main caregiver negative effect on the development of their children. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the moderating effect of parenting efficacy on the relationship between child temperament and parental depression.Participants and setting: A total of 468 participants, including 431 women (92.1%) and 37 men (7.9%) were included in the study. This study analyzed data from the Korean Survey of Children (For Parents, 2018) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea. MethodsThe survey was conducted from January 7, 2019, to February 28, 2019. In this study, the Emotionality, Activity, and Sociability Scale (EAS), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) were used to measure children's temperament, parental depression, and parenting efficacy. This study used PROCESS Macro 3.5 for SPSS 25.0 to analyze the moderating effect. Additionally, simple regression was conducted to verify the interaction effect. ResultsThe results showed that the emotionality of children is positively related to their parents’ states of depression. Their sociality was negatively associated with parental depression. However, children's activities were not associated with parental depression. Second, parenting efficacy was negatively related to parental depression. Third, parenting efficacy moderated the relationship between the emotionality of children and parental depression. ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that there is a correlation between parent–child interaction, as well as parenting efficacy and parents' depression level. It is particularly significant in that it presents the necessity and theoretical basis for a parenting program.

Young Children's Temperament and Their Emerging Prejudice Against Stuttering

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether typically developing children's temperament is associated with their awareness and emerging prejudice against stuttering. Method: The emotional reactivity and emotion regulation of 42 typically developing 3- to 7-year-old children were assessed using parent report of temperament (i.e., Children's Behavioral Questionnaire). Children viewed a video of two puppets, one with fluent speech and the other with nonfluent speech. Children were prompted to answer questions to assess their awareness of stuttering as well as their preference for fluent speech and negative evaluation of stuttering, with the latter two being combined to index children's emerging prejudice against stuttering. Results: Findings indicated that typically developing children's positive emotional reactivity was significantly associated with their verbally expressed awareness of stuttering. In addition, children's higher negative emotional reactivity was significantly associated with greater emerging prejudice against stuttering. Conclusion: Findings were taken to suggest that young typically developing children's emotional reactivity may play an important role in developing awareness of stuttering and prejudice against stuttering in their early years.

Irritability and Temperament: Concurrent and Prospective Relationships in Childhood and Adolescence

ABSTRACT Objective Irritability symptoms are closely associated with, and may reflect, temperament traits, particularly negative affectivity (NA). However, there are few empirical data on the relationships between child temperament and irritability symptoms. Method We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between irritability symptoms and temperament traits from age 3–15 in a community sample of 609 children and their parents. Irritability symptoms were assessed through structured interviews with parents at ages 3/6, and inventories completed by parents and youth at ages 12/15. Temperament traits were assessed using parent reports at ages 3/6, and parent and child reports at ages 12/15. Path analysis and structural equation modeling were used to explore longitudinal associations from ages 3–6 and 12–15, respectively. Results Higher levels of irritability symptoms at ages 3/6 were concurrently associated with higher levels of NA and lower levels of effortful control (EC). In adolescence, higher irritability symptoms were concurrently associated with higher negative temperament and disinhibition. In longitudinal analyses from age 3–6 and 12–15, irritability symptoms showed modest but significant stability after adjusting for the stability of temperament traits. However, there were significant differences in the stability paths at age 3–6, reflecting lower stability of irritability symptoms. Finally, EC at age 3 predicted increased irritability symptoms at age 6, while irritability symptoms at age 3 predicted increased NA at age 6. Conclusion Irritability symptoms are robustly associated with both temperamental NA and difficulty regulating attention and behavior. These findings help situate irritability symptoms within widely accepted temperament/personality taxonomies.