Influence Of Temperament Research Articles

Temperament and Character Traits Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Cancer Patients

There is an increase in the attention to factors influencing the quality of life of cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate temperament and character traits related to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with cancer. Two hundred and three inpatients from three Italian oncology departments filled in the Temperament Character Inventory (TCI-140) based on Cloninger's personality model, the SF-36 questionnaire assessing HRQoL, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Eighty percent of patients were undergoing chemotherapy. Lower levels of harm avoidance and higher levels of self-directedness were significantly correlated with a better HRQoL. Regression analysis controlling for psychopathology (anxiety and depression symptoms) showed that the influence of temperament and character traits on quality of life seemed to add little to the influence of psychopathology. The present study demonstrates the existence of some relations between HRQoL and temperament and character traits assessed using the TCI-140 questionnaire. However, among the psychological factors, psychopathology seems to retain more influence on HRQoL of cancer patients.

Recognition of faces and Greebles in 3-month-old infants: Influence of temperament and cognitive abilities

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether temperament and cognitive abilities are related to recognition performance of Caucasian and African faces and of a nonfacial stimulus class, Greebles. Seventy Caucasian infants were tested at 3 months with a habituation/dishabituation paradigm and their temperament and cognitive abilities were measured. Analyses revealed that only infants with easy temperament recognized familiar Greebles from the habituation phase. A similar pattern was found for cognitive abilities showing that only infants with higher cognitive abilities recognized Greebles. Irrespectively of temperament and cognitive abilities, all infants recognized the faces. Thus, the data suggest that recognition of unfamiliar Greebles, but not of faces, is demanding for 3-month-old infants with difficult temperament or lower cognitive abilities.

Influence of temperament and transportation on physiological and endocrinological parameters in bulls

This study measured physiological, immunological, and endocrinological responses of Bos indicus cattle of differing temperaments to transportation. Based on temperament score (TS) the 7 most Calm (TS = 0.84 ± 0.03) and 8 most Temperamental (TS = 3.37 ± 0.18) Brahman bulls were selected from our research herd. Prior to transportation bulls were fitted with heart rate monitors, indwelling jugular vein catheters, and rectal temperature recording devices that enabled continuous collection of data and samples during transport. The bulls were loaded into individual stalls in a trailer, and each catheter extension was attached to an IceSampler™ device that was programmed to collect blood samples at 15- and 30-min intervals. The trailer remained stationary for 120 min prior to the initiation of transportation to acclimate bulls to the stalls. The bulls were then transported for 4 h (390 km roundtrip; average of 91 km/h). Collected blood samples were analyzed for cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Additional blood samples were collected for isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to determine proliferation, IgM production, and gene expression. Heart rate fluctuated in Temperamental but not in Calm bulls throughout the study (time × temperament interaction P = 0.04). Rectal temperature increased over time ( P < 0.001) but was not affected by temperament ( P = 0.57). Change in rectal temperature may be partially attributable to the change in ambient temperature as the two were highly correlated (r = 0.73 and 0.72 for Calm and Temperamental bulls, respectively; P < 0.001). Cortisol concentrations increased in Calm but not Temperamental bulls in response to transportation (time × temperament interaction P = 0.01). Epinephrine concentrations were unchanged in Calm but decreased in Temperamental bulls (time × temperament interaction P = 0.07) throughout the study. Norepinephrine concentrations were not affected by transportation ( P = 0.36) or temperament ( P = 0.93). The production of IgM by PBMCs was not affected by temperament ( P = 0.40) or transportation ( P = 0.28). Proliferation of PBMCs was not affected by temperament ( P = 0.98) but tended ( P = 0.06) to be greater post-transportation. The expression of the glucocorticoid receptor ( P = 0.02) and toll-like receptor 4 ( P = 0.08) mRNAs decreased in response to transportation. In summary, these data indicate that transportation only affected cortisol concentrations in Calm bulls. Additionally, temperament influenced cortisol and epinephrine concentrations as well as heart rate. However, there was no influence of temperament, and limited influence of transportation, on PBMC functions. While transportation has been purported to be a stressor in cattle, the temporal pattern observed while the bulls were on the trailer is suggestive that the stress occurred prior to loading the bulls into the trailer.

Influence of Temperament and Perceived Parenting Styles on Character Strengths: Focusing on The Mediating Effect of Perceived Parenting Styles

Influence of Temperament and Perceived Parenting Styles on Character Strengths: Focusing on The Mediating Effect of Perceived Parenting Styles

Interactions between Temperament, Stress, and Immune Function in Cattle

The detrimental effects caused by stressors encountered by animals during routine handling can pose economic problems for the livestock industry due to increased costs ultimately borne by the producer and the consumer. Stress adversely affects key physiological processes of the reproductive and immune systems. In recent years stress responsiveness has been associated with cattle behavior, specifically temperament. Cattle with more excitable temperaments, as measured by chute score, pen score, and exit velocity (flight speed), exhibit greater basal concentrations of glucocorticoids and catecholamines. Similar to stressed cattle, more temperamental cattle (i.e., cattle exhibiting greater exit velocity or pen and chute scores) have poorer growth performance, carcass characteristics, and immune responses. Thus, understanding the interrelationship of stress and temperament can help in the development of selection and management practices that reduce the negative influence of temperament on growth and productivity of cattle. This paper discusses the relationship between stress and temperament and the developing evidence of an effect of temperament on immune function of cattle that have been handled or restrained. Specifically, the paper discusses different methodologies used to measure temperament, including chute score, pen score, and exit velocity, and discusses the reaction of cattle to different stressors including handling and restraint.

Temperament influences endotoxin-induced changes in rectal temperature, sickness behavior, and plasma epinephrine concentrations in bulls

This study was designed to determine the influence of temperament on endotoxin-induced changes in body temperature, sickness behavior, and stress hormone concentrations in cattle. Brahman bulls were selected based on temperament score measured 28 d prior to weaning. In dwelling recording devices were used to monitor rectal temperature, and jugular catheters were used to collect blood samples to determine cortisol and epinephrine concentrations before and after LPS administration (0.5 μg/kg body weight). Temperamental bulls had the lowest peak rectal temperature and sickness behavior scores relative to the Calm and Intermediate bulls. Prior to the administration of LPS, Temperamental bulls had greater cortisol and epinephrine concentrations than Calm or Intermediate bulls. Cortisol concentrations increased following LPS administration but were not affected by temperament. Epinephrine concentrations peaked 1 h after LPS administration in Calm bulls. Temperamental bulls did not exhibit an epinephrine response to LPS challenge. These data demonstrate that the temperament of calves can modulate the physiological, behavioral, and endocrine responses of pre-pubertal Brahman bulls to endotoxin challenge. Specifically, temperament differentially affected the rectal temperature, sickness behavior and epinephrine, but not cortisol, responses to LPS challenge.

The influence of temperament on long-term job strain and its components: The cardiovascular risk in Young Finns Study

We examined the relationship between Cloninger’s temperament in adulthood, job strain and its components. There were 613 participants (273 men) aged 30–45 years. Cloninger’s temperament scale ( Cloninger, Svrakic, & Przybeck, 1993) was used to measure temperament traits of novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD) and persistence ( P) in 1997 and in 2001. Job demands, job control, education and occupation were reported in 2001 and 2007. The results showed that low NS and high HA predicted higher long-term job strain. Higher NS, lower HA and higher P predicted higher long-term job control, and higher HA and higher P predicted higher long-term job demands. High RD predicted job strain only in 2001. Although job demands and job control mainly reflect characteristics of work environment, temperament tendencies seem to contribute to job strain and its components.

The influence of temperament on symptoms and functional outcome in people with psychosis in the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort

Objective To describe symptom expression and functional outcome in psychotic disorders in relation with temperament traits assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) in a population-based sample. Method As part of the 31-year follow-up survey of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, TCI temperament items were filled in by 4349 members of the cohort. In individuals with psychotic disorders, also positive and negative symptoms and outcome variables were assessed in a 35-year follow-up. Information of TCI and outcomes were available for altogether 41 individuals with psychosis. Result Reward dependence (RD) (rho = −0.45) and Persistence (P) (rho = −0.52) were significantly correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative symptoms. Higher P scores predicted higher social and occupational functioning (as measured by Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale [SOFAS]), and higher Harm avoidance (HA) predicted a higher likelihood of being on a disability pension. Conclusion Results indicate that understanding of personality dimensions support better understanding of outcome and symptom expressions in psychotic disorders.

Challenging behavior in elementary and middle school

Challenging behavior in elementary and middle school

The influence of temperament on the development of coping: The role of maturation and experience

Temperament refers to individual differences in two broad aspects of behavior: (1) emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity and (2) self-regulatory processes that modulate such reactivity. These individual differences are grounded in people's constitution and influence both stress reactions and patterns of coping. In this chapter, we examine how individual differences in temperament are conceptually linked to the development of coping and how this association is modulated by the maturation of brain systems underlying temperament. Finally, we argue about the possibility of improving children's coping abilities through intervention programs designed to foster self-regulation.

Does Horse Temperament Influence Horse–Rider Cooperation?

Cooperation between rider and horse is of major importance in equitation. A balanced team of horse and rider improves (sport) performances and welfare aspects by decreasing stress, frustration, risks of injuries, and accidents. Important features affecting the cooperation are the physical skills, knowledge, and personality of the rider on one hand and the temperament, experience, and physical abilities of the horse on the other. A study with 16 riders and 16 warm-blood riding horses tested the effect of personality of riders and temperament of horses on cooperation between riders and horses. More emotionally reactive horses showed more evasive behavior during riding. Riders preferred to ride those horses who were assessed by the riders as being attentive to the rider's aid. The frequency of evasive behaviors during riding—as assessed by riders, in contrast to the assessments made by an external judge—influenced the cooperation between rider and horse. On average, a rider's personality did not affect the cooperation between rider and horse; however, it is suggested that a rider's personality does affect the cooperation with more emotionally reactive horses.

Pathways to substance-related disorder: a structural model approach exploring the influence of temperament, character, and childhood adversity in a national cohort of prisoners

Using Cloninger's model of personality, we aimed to specify the relative influence of the more biologically determined variables, temperament and character and more environmentally driven influence, childhood adversity in the development of addiction; and to compare patterns found among alcoholics with those found among drug addicts. We studied a group of prisoners, at a high risk of substance abuse and past history of childhood adversity. Using a stratified random strategy we selected (i) 23 prisons among the different types of prison in France, (ii) 998 prisoners. Each prisoner was assessed by two psychiatrists--one junior, using a structured interview (MINI 5 plus), and one senior, completing the procedure with an open clinical interview. At the end of the interview the clinicians met and agreed on a list of diagnoses. Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory was used to measure personality. Structural equations models, which have been advocated to disentangle the respective influence of complex risk factors, were used. The "novelty seeking" temperament was a crucial vulnerability factor, for both alcoholics and drug addicts, in the same proportion. Character and childhood adversity played a significant part only in the development of drug abuse. In a prison population, a common biological loaded factor, novelty seeking is found both at the core of alcohol- and drug-related disorder whereas environmentally loaded factors play a greater role in drug problems.

In This Issue/Abstract Thinking: Critical Periods

This month's editorial by Feldman (p. 233) discusses the potentially critical periods that occur during fetal development. The editorial highlights the interplay of the intrauterine environment, later temperamental characteristics, and the imposition of the environment on behavior, further detailed in three original articles appearing in this month's Journal. To begin, the Generation R study reported by Roza et al. (p. 265) examines the influence of intrauterine growth on temperamental difficulties in 3,792 infants. Growth size and growth rate trajectories were followed in utero, and infant temperamental dimensions were measured at 6 months of age. However, after correcting for maternal variations, temperamental difficulties were not found to be associated to the measured growth parameters, in contrast to several previous studies. Linking the role of temperament to risk of psychopathology, Rettew et al. (p. 274) measured temperament characteristics using latent profile analysis with respect to psychopathology and wellness in children. They define several temperamental phenotypes, thereby adding dimension to the influence of temperament on positive and negative outcomes.

Cortisol and ACTH responses to the Dex/CRH Test: Influence of temperament

Temperament and personality traits such as neuroticism and behavioral inhibition are prospective predictors of the onset of depression and anxiety disorders. Exposure to stress is also linked to the development of these disorders, and neuroticism and inhibition may confer or reflect sensitivity to stressors. Several lines of research have documented hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in some patients with major depression, as well as in children and non-human primates with inhibited temperaments. The present investigation tested the hypothesis that stress-reactive temperaments would be predictive of plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations in the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test. Sixty adults completed diagnostic interviews and questionnaires assessing the temperament domains of novelty seeking and harm avoidance and symptoms of anxiety and depression. All subjects were free of any current or past Axis I psychiatric disorder. The Dex/CRH test was performed on a separate visit. A repeated-measures general linear model (GLM) showed a main effect of harm avoidance in predicting cortisol concentrations in the test ( F(1, 58) = 4.86, p < .05). The GLM for novelty seeking and cortisol response also showed a main effect ( F(1, 58) = 5.28, p < .05). Higher cortisol concentrations were associated with higher levels of harm avoidance and lower levels of novelty seeking. A significant interaction of time with harm avoidance and novelty seeking ( F(4, 53) = 3.37, p < .05) revealed that participants with both high levels of harm avoidance and low levels of novelty seeking had the highest cortisol responses to the Dex/CRH test. Plasma ACTH concentrations did not differ as a function of temperament. The results indicate that temperament traits linked to sensitivity to negative stimuli are associated with greater cortisol reactivity during the Dex/CRH test. Increased adrenocortical reactivity, which previously has been linked to major depression and anxiety disorders, may contribute to the association between temperament/personality traits and these disorders.

The Influence of Temperament on Weight Gain in Early Infancy

Difficult temperament has been associated with fast weight gain and slow weight gain, although the latter mostly in referred subjects studies in late infancy. The current study set out to investigate early weight gain in relation to all domains of temperament in a community-screened sample. Weight gain from birth to 8 weeks was assessed in 75 infants recruited from local health care clinics who had demonstrated slow, average, or fast weight gain. Mothers completed a temperament questionnaire and a 2-day diary recording infant behaviors (sleeping, feeding, fussing, and crying). Weight gain from birth to 8 weeks was significantly related to infant temperament. The temperament dimension fear (acceptance or rejection of new objects or persons) was related to slow weight gain and the temperament dimension distress to limitations (negative emotionality and the infant's reaction to frustrating situations) was related to fast weight gain. The regression model explained 59% of the variance, with the temperament dimensions explaining 11%. Diary data showed that infants who scored high on fear tended to cry a lot, while infants with high scores on distress to limitations tended to sleep less and cry and fuss more. The results emphasize that different temperament domains influence slow and fast weight gain. In addition, the data suggest that infant temperament plays a part in physical development in early infancy.

Influence of animal temperament and stress responsiveness on the carcass quality and beef tenderness of feedlot cattle

Three groups of steers (A, B, C) were used to study the effect of temperament (Calm, Intermediate, and Excitable) on meat quality. Temperament was based on exit velocity, pen scores, and chute scores. Temperament traits were consistent across evaluations, and values decreased ( P < 0.05) in magnitude over time. Increasing excitability was associated with higher ( P < 0.05) serum cortisol concentrations. Carcasses from cattle with calm temperaments had higher ( P < 0.05) 0.5 h postmortem pH values than those from Intermediate and Excitable cattle (0.1 and 0.2 units, respectively). Group C Excitable steers had higher ( P < 0.05) WBS values than the calmer Group C steers. This trend was observed in Group A steers, although the values were not statistically different. Correlations were highest between temperament values and tenderness after 21 d. Temperament influences tenderness, although the mechanism is not clear.

The relationship between temperament and intelligence: Cross-sectional study in successive age groups

The aim of our study was to investigate the pattern of relationships between temperament and intelligence in the successive groups of age covering all stages in human life. Three theoretical views investigating the linkage between both concepts were considered: hypothesis of so-called “common ground”, relationships via process of development and relationships via process of measurement. In correspondence with Cattell’s theory fluid and crystallized aspects of intelligence were measured consecutively by the Raven’s Progressive Matrices and by the Army General Classification Test (civilian version). Temperament was measured by the Pavlovian Temperament Survey and the EAS Temperament Survey. Overall 831 participants, divided into seven groups of age, took part in the study. In the whole sample mobility of the nervous system was positively related to both aspects of intelligence, emotionality was negatively related to g f, and activity—to crystallized intelligence. The analyses in the sub-samples revealed crucial differences between children and the remaining groups. In children the dimension describing the ability to process stimulation is positively related to g f. In adolescents and adults crystallized intelligence was positively correlated with need for stimulation. Our results support mainly the hypothesis of influence of temperament on the development of intelligence.

Relationship Between Specialty Choice and Medical Student Temperament and Character Assessed With Cloninger Inventory

Background: Multiple variables affect medical specialty choice, including temperament, sociodemographic factors, and personal experiences. Many studies address specific variables for specific specialties, but few assess the relative impact of each factor. Purpose: To identify the relative influence of temperament in choosing a specialty. Methods: A sociodemographic and personal experiences questionnaire and a 240-question temperament and character inventory was distributed to 682 medical students. Their scores for 6 medical specialties were examined using analyses of variance, multivariate analyses of variance, and discriminant analysis. Results: Students choosing surgery, emergency medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology were higher on novelty seeking than other students. Future surgeons were lower in harm avoidance and reward dependence (RD) than the others. Students choosing primary care specialties, emergency medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology were all high on RD; with pediatrics being highest. Students differed from college students, the women differed from the men, and the Asian Americans differed from the other groups. Conclusion: The implications of these findings are discussed for career counseling and future research.

Temperament and Attachment Disorders

Reviewed in this article is research on children with reactive attachment disorder (RAD) who exhibit specific patterns of socially aberrant behavior resulting from being maltreated or having limited opportunities to form selective attachments. There are no data explaining why 2 different patterns of the disorder, an emotionally withdrawn-inhibited pattern and an indiscriminate-disinhibited pattern, arise from similarly aberrant environments. In this article, we consider whether temperamental differences might contribute to the different manifestations of reactive attachment disorder (RAD) in the context of adverse environments. Although the association between attachment and temperament has been studied extensively and has been the subject of spirited debate within the field of child development, there are no extant data on the influence of temperament on the development of attachment disorders. We consider possible directions for research efforts designed to explore the biological underpinnings of the complex phenomenon of attachment disorders.

The influence of temperament and character on functioning and aspects of psychological health among people with schizophrenia

Research findings that link personality factors to functioning and symptoms in schizophrenia are inconsistent, and further studies are needed within the area. The purpose of this study was to investigate how personality, as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), was related to demographic factors, subtypes of diagnoses, level of functioning, and aspects of psychological health, including sense of coherence, perceived control, and self-esteem, among people with schizophrenia. Subjects were 104 individuals, aged 20–55 years, in psychiatric outpatient care. The results indicated that personality was not related to subtypes of diagnoses or demographic characteristics of the respondents, but to level of functioning and all aspects of psychological health. Especially self-directedness distinguished three groups of functioning and was highly correlated with the different aspects of psychological health. The article discusses how knowledge of schizophrenic patients’ personality structure might be used for tailoring psychiatric treatments.