Temperament Theory Research Articles

Testing DeLisi and Vaughn’s temperament theory on a non-delinquent sample: a two-wave cross-sectional analysis

ABSTRACT Since the introduction of DeLisi and Vaughn’s (2014) temperament-based theory of antisocial behavior [temperament theory], multiple empirical tests have been conducted to determine its efficacy. These tests have demonstrated temperament’s meaningful ability to predict the likelihood that an adjudicated individual will recidivate (both rearrest and readjudication) and how long it takes to recidivate. While these tests have showcased temperament’s effectiveness, their findings are not generalizable beyond the recidivism of juvenile and adult offenders. The present study attempts to fill this gap by testing temperament theory using logistic regression modeling on a nationally representative dataset, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health [Add Health]. Specifically, the present study examines whether an individual’s temperament during adolescence can predict offending behavior during adolescence and adulthood. Findings demonstrate that the combination of effortful control and negative emotionality significantly predicts adolescent and adult offending behaviors. Limitations and implications of this study are discussed.

Exploring the Ayurvedic Concept of Manasa Prakriti in Light of Contemporary Temperament Theory and Personality Disorders

Personality pertains to the different patterns of behaviour, cognitive processes, and emotional responses that distinguish individuals. It is composed of three primary components: physiological, psychological, and environmental factors. Personality is referred to as 'Prakriti’ expressing an individual's intrinsic qualities impacted by their genetic physical and mental composition, in the domain of Ayurveda. The predominant Doshas present during conception, as well as those within the womb, ultimately shape a person's Prakriti. The Prakriti constitution signifies the unique equilibrium that exists between the Sharira (body) and the Manas (mind). Manasa Prakriti or the psychic expression or constitution, is the inherent mental disposition resulting from the union of Sukra (semen), Shonita (ovum), and Atma (soul). According to Ayurveda, the relative dominance of the three principal mind components referred to as Trigunas: Satwika (purity), Rajasika (movement), and Tamasika (inertia and dullness), also known as Maha prakriti, shapes a person's psychological constitution. Identifying and encouraging personal development, enhancing interpersonal skills, and nurturing leadership qualities are all benefits of assessing an individual's Manasa prakriti. It also plays an important role in sustaining health and recommending appropriate therapeutic procedures. Furthermore, the prognosis is determined by an individual's Manas Prakriti type. In this review, an attempt is made to explore the Ayurvedic concept of Manasa Prakriti in light of contemporary temperament theory and personality disorders.

Who is inspired to follow Bishop Barron? Applying psychological type and psychological temperament theory among lay Catholic participants at an event sponsored in London by the Word on Fire Institute

ABSTRACT The present study draws on psychological type theory and psychological temperament theory to test the extent to which Bishop Barron’s ministry shaped by the Word on Fire Institute is reaching people less effectively reached by Catholic congregations. Data provided by 168 male and 292 female participants attending Bishop Barron’s day conference in central London during February 2023, who completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales, demonstrated that this event attracted significantly higher proportions of intuitive types and of thinking types, compared with Catholic churchgoers. However, like Catholic congregations, extraverts and perceiving types remained under-represented among the followers of Bishop Barron. The implications of these findings are discussed for the ongoing nurture of those attracted to Bishop Barron alongside inherited congregations.

Temperament structures and the effectiveness of individual play in football.

Regulatory Theory of Temperament distinguishes two traits involving the time course of responses and four relating to how energy is distributed and stored. This theory enables the presentation of entire structures of temperament traits and it is relevant for assessing an individual's ability to process stimulation and influence their performance during competitions. In our cross-sectional study, these structures are examined in relation to the offensive, defensive, and comprehensive effectiveness of an individual player's actions. The study included 91 football players aged between 20 and 31 years, who had approximately 10 years of training experience. The Formal Characteristics of Behavior - Temperament Inventory was utilized to assess temperamental traits, while a simulation game was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of each individual player's actions. Research demonstrated that football players possessing a temperament structure that is closely aligned harmonized structure with a high capacity to process stimulation showed higher levels of individual efficacy in attack, defence, and comprehensive effectiveness of performance compared to football players with a harmonized temperament structure but a low capacity to process stimulation. The obtained result emphasises the significance of specific temperament structures in terms of matching the individual's stimulation levels and the their ability to process it.

Development of a Culture-Common Formal Characteristics of Behavior – Temperament Markers Inventory (FCB-TMI-CC)

The goal was to create a brief temperament inventory grounded in the Regulative Theory of Temperament (FCB-TMI-CC), with a user-friendly, online applicability for studies in different cultures. As the regulative role of temperament is strongly revealed under meaningful stress, the study was planned within the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure high diversity in terms of culture, economic and environmental conditions, data from nine countries (Poland, United States of America, Italy, Japan, Argentina, South Korea, Ireland, United Kingdom and Kazakhstan) were utilized (min. N = 200 per country). Validation data were gathered on the level of COVID-19 stressors, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, and Big Five personality traits. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis served as the basis for the inventory’s construction. The final culture-common version includes 37 items (5–6 in each of the 7 scales) and covers the core aspects of temperament dimensions. Temperament structure was confirmed to be equivalent across measured cultures. The measurement is invariant at the level of factor loadings and the reliability (internal consistency) and theoretical validity of the scales were at least acceptable. Therefore, the FCB-TMI-CC may serve as a valuable tool for studying temperament across diverse cultures and facilitate cross-cultural comparisons.

PSYCHOSOMATİCS: PSYCHOLOGİCAL CAUSES OF SOMATİC DİSEASES

There is always a balance between the physical and spiritual world of a person. When symmetry is broken in their joint activity, psychological problems arise, which are covered by the name of psychosomatics. In the article, the author considers these issues and notes that the problem of psychosomatics is one of the most pressing and complex problems of our time. The history of psychosomatics is ancient. The humoral theory of temperament of Hippocrates is considered the basis of psychosomatics. The author notes that the term psychosomatics was first used in 1818 by the German physician Heinroth. He analyzed various sources and grouped the causes of psychosomatic diseases and showed that the treatment of somatic diseases is carried out through long-term psychotherapy.

Temperamental underpinnings of borderline personality disorder and its facets.

Temperament is claimed to be the basis for personality; therefore, discovering the temperamental underpinnings of borderline personality disorder and its facets is crucial for understanding this personality disorder. In this article, we explore these underpinnings by using a new model of temperament, based on the Regulative Theory of Temperament, the Big Two of temperament, and the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits. Two studies were conducted on adults-the first was in a general population sample (N = 315) and the second was in a clinical sample (N = 113) in people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. The following measurements were used: The Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (SI-Bord), the Five-Factor Borderline Inventory-Short Form (FFBI-SF), and the Temperament Metadimensions Questionnaire (TMQ). General borderline was explained by Reactivity (high Sensitivity) and Activity (high Dynamism). At the facet level, the Borderline Internalizing Facet was mainly explained by Reactivity (high Sensitivity), while the Borderline Externalizing Facet was explained by Activity (high Dynamism) in addition to Reactivity (high Sensitivity). The results of our study revealed specific temperamental underpinnings of borderline and its facets. Reactivity underlies all borderline facets, while Activity differentiates between the Borderline Externalizing Facet and Borderline Internalizing Facet.

Reinforcement sensitivity theory and externalizing problems across early adolescence: Testing within-person reciprocal associations.

Temperament and externalizing problems are closely linked, but research on how they codevelop across adolescence remains sparse and equivocal. Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) provides a useful framework for understanding temperament and externalizing problems associations. During adolescence, oppositional problems are posited to be linked to an overactive behavioral approach system (BAS) while conduct problems are linked to an underactive behavioral inhibition system (BIS). However, this research mostly uses adult samples and cross-sectional designs and tests only between-person associations. Moreover, most studies typically test only one direction of effects (i.e., temperament predicts externalizing problems) and do not consider alternative models of associations, such as reciprocal associations. To address these limitations, we use three annual waves of a longitudinal, community-based sample of 387 early adolescents (mean Wave 1 age = 11.61 years, 55% female, 83% non-Hispanic White) to test reciprocal associations between BIS and BAS and oppositional and conduct problems. Latent curve models with structured residuals are used to test hypotheses and disaggregate between- and within-person associations. Evidence supports within-person reciprocal associations between BAS and oppositional problems and between BIS and combined conduct and oppositional problems. Results potentially inform developmental theories of temperament and externalizing problems linkages and interventions with adolescents who are engaging in oppositional problems and more severe conduct problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

School Engagement as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Temperament and Recidivism Among Adolescents in Community-Based Juvenile Justice Services

Prior research has established the relationship between temperament and recidivism, yet the mechanisms that underlie this relationship have yet to be explored. School engagement represents one possible mechanism and has been shown to be related to both recidivism and temperament. The current study expands research on DeLisi and Vaughn’s temperament theory by utilizing data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to determine if school engagement effectively mediates the relationship between temperament and continued delinquency. Results provide evidence of a significant mediation effect, controlling for a host of potential confounding variables. Findings suggest that approximately one-third of the total effect of temperament on juvenile recidivism is mediated by school engagement issues, yet a significant direct effect of temperament remains. Policy and intervention implications are briefly considered. Further research is required to determine additional mediators to better understand the processes by which temperament impacts reoffending.

Temperament Affected Visuospatial Orienting on Discrimination Tasks.

In the Posner cueing paradigm, the early attentional capture and subsequent inhibition of return (IOR) of attention to the same location, although they are microscale phenomena measured in milliseconds, seem to encapsulate the interaction between two fundamental dimensions of behavior - engaging in and sustaining activity versus withdrawing from and inhibiting activity. In the field of differential psychology, the dynamics of reciprocal relations between these behavioral dimensions have been thought to be determined by central nervous system properties that constitute an individual's temperament. Yet the research on any differential effects of temperament on visuospatial orienting is rather sparse and has produced ambiguous results. Here, we used saccadic responses to measure whether individual differences in reactivity as a temperamental trait might affect orienting of visuospatial attention on discrimination cueing tasks. Our results suggested that, in individuals with lower reactivity, attentional capture took place at a short stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), producing a facilitatory cueing effect, which was not the case in those who were higher in reactivity. We explain and discuss these results with the Regulative Theory of Temperament.

Leisure activities and feelings of stress in the workplace. The mediating role of emotional reactivity and activity

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between being stressed in the work environment and different leisure activities, also whether specific temperamental characteristics compatible with Regulative Theory of Temperament by Strelau - emotional reactivity and activity – influence the connection between above mentioned variables in a major way. The study included 124 professionally active participants with age ranging from 18 through to 65 years old. It was conducted through paper-pencil method in stationary mode using three tools: Formal Characteristics of Behaviour – Temperament Questionnaire Revised Version, Subjective Work Assessment Questionnaire and Free Time Spending Questionnaire. Results showed that as the level of stress at work increases, relaxation and physical activity decreases, as well as activity, while emotional reactivity increases. At the same time, the higher the relaxation and physical activity, the higher level of activity and the lower emotional reactivity. Moreover, those two temperament traits can modify the relationship between leisure and workplace stress.

Predictive validity of two conceptualizations of basic temperament dimensions

In this paper, we aimed to compare the predictive validity of two models of temperament structure: the one proposed within Strelau's Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT) and the other developed by Strus, Ponikiewska and Cieciuch as a reconceptualization of the RTT fundamental temperament dimensions based on the insights from the temperamental Big Two and the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits. Specifically, we compared the predictive validity of these two temperament models in relation to a set of external variables related to stress (well-being, stress, PTSD, and COVID stress). The study was conducted on a Polish sample (N = 336, age range 17–65). We found that the reconceptualized temperament dimensions allow for better predictions of well-being, stress, and PTSD than the RTT ones.

Analytic Background in the Neuroscience of the Potential Project "Hippocrates".

This paper reviews the principles identified in analytic neuroscience that could be used in the setup of an international project, "Hippocrates" (H-project), named after the author of the endocrine theory of temperaments. The H-project can aim to summarize the findings in functional neurochemistry of consistent behavioural patterns (CBPs) in health (such as temperament traits) and psychopathology (symptoms of psychiatric disorders); to have systematically structured neurochemical investigations; to have an analysis of CBPs that include all ranges of behavioural histories and to have these modules complemented by regional contrasts related to climate, diets and other bio-environmental factors. The review highlights the benefits of constructivism and illustrates the contrast between constructivism and current approaches in terms of analytic and methodological aspects. (1) "Where" the neurochemical biomarkers should be measured: the review expands the range of needed measurements to out-of-brain systems, including environmental factors, and explores the concept of Specialized Extended Phenotype. (2) "What" should be measured but is missing: the review points to the need for measurement of the "Throw & Catch" neurochemical relays; behavioural and neuronal events contributing to the consistency of the CBPs but not documented in measurements. (3) Structuring the H-project's setup: the paper briefly describes a proposed earlier neurochemical framework, Functional Ensemble of Temperament that that accommodates the neurochemical continuum between temperament and symptoms of psychiatric disorders. This framework is in line with documented "Throw & Catch" neurochemical relays and can also be used to organize data about the personal and professional history of an individual.

Domain specificity of differential susceptibility: Testing an evolutionary theory of temperament in early childhood.

According to differential susceptibility theory (DST), some children may be more sensitive to both positive and negative features of the environment. However, research has generated a list of widely disparate temperamental traits that may reflect differential susceptibility to the environment. In addition, findings have implicated these temperament × environment interactions in predicting a wide variety of child outcomes. This study uses a novel evolutionary model of temperament to examine whether differential susceptibility operates in a domain-general or domain-specific manner. Using a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 243 preschoolers and their parents (56% female; 48% African American), we examined the interactions between maternal and paternal parenting quality and two evolutionary informed temperament profiles (i.e., Hawks and Doves) in predicting changes in teacher-reported conduct problems and depressive symptoms from preschool to first grade. Results suggest that differential susceptibility operates in a domain-specific fashion. Specifically, the "Hawk" temperament was differentially susceptible to maternal parenting in predicting externalizing problems. In contrast, the "Dove" temperament was susceptible to both paternal and maternal parenting quality in predicting changes in depressive symptoms. Findings provide support for an integrative framework that synthesizes DST with an evolutionary, function-based approach to temperament.

Temperament profiles and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: A comparative study between uniformed services, HIV-infected patients and a nonclinical sample

This study aimed to explore heterogeneity in temperament traits, as described by the regulative theory of temperament (RTT), in a sample of HIV-positive patients and uniformed services personnel who have experienced various traumatic events. In addition, we wanted to examine if the profiles of these samples that were extracted based on RTT traits differ in the intensity of their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The total study sample consisted of 1160 participants, including 417 uniformed services personnel, 310 HIV-positive individuals and 432 adults from the general population without declared traumatic experiences. The participants from the clinical samples completed the PTSD-Factorial Version (PTSD-F) questionnaire, and all study groups completed the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour – Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI). Latent profile analysis showed unique temperament profiles in the clinical samples, differing in RTT traits and PTSD intensity compared with the general population. The person-centred approach to personality and temperament provides insights beyond what can be attained using a variable-centred framework. In particular, there is no single pattern of isolated temperament traits as PTSD risk factors.

Temperament as a biological determinant of criminal behavior

The article is devoted to the analysis of criminal behavior biological determinants, namely the influence of temperament on a person's deviance. Biological factors play a significant role in the formation of criminal behavior. They determine the specific nature of a person's reactions to any influences.
 It is determined that temperament is a set of certain properties that quite stably characterize the dynamic features of the individual's psyche. In each case, it is fixed in the form of a psychological concept form of manifestation inherent in a particular individual lifestyle. Activity, reactivity, sensitivity, plasticity, extraversion, rate of reactions, emotionality, largely determine how a person lives, how he establishes and implements his relationship with the world.
 Several theories of temperament and its relationship with criminal behavior are analyzed there. It has been found that biological theories of determining criminal behavior were probably one of the first from another ones. Most biological theories arose within the criminological study of society.
 It is determined that in criminological reseaches, the study of temperament as a biological determinant of deviant behavior began to appear only in the late twentieth century in the works of American scientists. The main explanation for this fact is that much of the temperament research has been conducted by psychologists who study children at a very early age - long before they detect truly criminal behaviors. Manifested in the dynamic features of the human psyche and behavior, each type of temperament can have its advantages and disadvantages.
 Modern criminological research allows us to conclude that it is not a specific form of deviant behavior (for example, criminal) that is inherited, but rather individual psychological traits that increase the likelihood of deviance, such as impulsiveness, aggression, domination, or leadership.
 It is concluded that the biological determinants of criminal behavior act only in conjunction with the social ones and form a causal complex of crime and are a prerequisite for further development of measures to prevent crime in all its forms.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom profiles – The role of temperament, traumatization, and cognitive factors

Person-centered analyses may be applied to identify latent homogeneous subgroups of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The evidence suggests three to five class/profile solutions that are distinct in a quantitative and/or qualitative way. This study aimed to examine the evidence for different profiles of PTSD symptoms among a Polish sample exposed to road accidents and floods and to verify different predictors of profile membership: demographic and trauma-related variables, temperamental traits according to Jan Strelau's Regulative Theory of Temperament, and cognitive factors. Data from 572 participants, aged between 18 and 85 years were included. The latent profile analysis indicated five profiles: low symptom; intermediate symptom with higher negative affect; intermediate symptom with low negative affect, higher avoidance, and anxiety; elevated symptom; and high symptom. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed significant predictors of profile membership: temperamental trait – emotional reactivity, trauma exposure aspect - physical injuries, and three cognitive strategies of affect regulation: minimizing importance, thought suppression/mental distraction, and mental disengagement. Profiles differing not only in symptom severity, but also in the intensity of specific symptom clusters were obtained. Their diversity may be related to pre-, peri-, and post-traumatic factors of temperamental, trauma-related, and cognitive nature.

Reactivity and Activity as dimensions capturing both energetic and temporal aspects of behavior: Towards a reconceptualization of Jan Strelau's basic temperament dimensions based on the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits

The paper presents a new model of temperament structure that: (1) is built on the crucial assumptions of the Regulative Theory of Temperament, (2) incorporates the so called temperamental Big Two, (3) and uses the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits to precisely conceptualize the basic temperamental dimensions of Reactivity and Activity. As a result, the new model balancedly differentiates between energetic and temporal aspects of temperamental characteristics both at the conceptual and measurement level. In order to empirically verify the model, a new questionnaire measuring all assumed variables was developed and used together with a set of 10 well-established measures of temperament (including Formal Characteristic of Behavior – Temperament Inventory – Revised) in a sample of 412 participants (55.5% females; Mage = 28.49, SDage = 11.64). The obtained results support the validity of the new temperament measure, synthesizing potential of the new model, as well as the claim that Reactivity and Activity (in our conceptualization and operationalization) can indeed be treated as fundamental dimensions of temperament, as they turned out to be highly correlated (≈ .80) with two factors extracted from all other temperamental measures used in the study. Theoretical implications and possibilities of the new model are discussed.

Temperament and neural activation during the affective Stroop task: A functional connectivity study

Using the Regulative Theory of Temperament, this study aimed to identify relationships between two temperamental traits – activity and emotional reactivity – and functional connectivity of the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex during the Affective Stroop task. Participants were 84 young adults (42 women) aged 19–25. Emotional reactivity was negatively related to connectivity between the right amygdala and the left lateral occipital cortex, right cerebellum, and left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as well as right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC)–frontal pole connectivity. Temperamental activity was related to right amygdala–left subcallosal cortex positive connectivity; and right amygdala–left IFG, and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) negative connectivity and rACC–cerebellum negative connectivity. The interaction between the two traits was related to the connectivity between the amygdala and right cerebellum, left subcallosal cortex, and left MTG, as well as right rACC–right prefrontal pole connectivity. Our results are in line with previous literature, suggesting diminished cognitive resources among individuals with ineffective regulatory temperamental systems.

Psychological flexibility, temperament, and perceived stress.

Psychological flexibility (PF) is an ability to engage in meaningful actions regardless of the presence of difficult internal experiences. Higher psychological flexibility was found to be related not only to a lower level of the symptoms of psychopathology, but also with better functioning, lower stress levels and higher well-being. As temperament impacts preferred styles of action, data on the relationships between temperament, psychological flexibility and other criteria can provide ideas on how to improve the process of PF development. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between psychological flexibility, temperament traits and perceived stress. A total of 254 people, aged 18-93, recruited directly by 13 pollsters from a local community sample, took part in the study. Temperamental traits were operationalized according to the regulative theory of temperament. Participants completed self-report measures. Psychological flexibility was predicted by emotional reactivity and perseveration and it was a significant predictor of stress beyond and above temperamental traits. While the relationship between stress and two temperamental traits - emotional reactivity and perseveration - was partially mediated by psychological flexibility, activity was related to stress directly. Psychological flexibility is determined by temperamental traits to some extent. Further research on psychological flexibility and temperament needs to take an empirical design and test possible reciprocal effects.