Temperament Education: Theory, Research and Application

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Temperament Education Theory, Research and
Application

• Carol Ostergren, Ph.D.
• Faden Fulleylove-Krause
• University of Wisconsin-Extension

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An Overview

• Temperament theory
• Goodness of fit
• Why temperament education?
• Major temperament areas
• Temperament resources

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Temperament TheoryA brief historical overview

• The Ancient Greeks
• Blood cheerfulness
• Phlegm sluggishness or apathy
• Black bile gloominess
• Yellow bile - anger

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Temperament TheoryA brief historical overview

• 17th century individual differences in behavior
  no longer due to inborn nature, individual as a
  blank slate
• 19th century continued emphasis on external
  forces to explain temperament (Freuds
  psychoanalytic theory)
• early 20th century behaviorist theory also
  focused on the role of environment

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Temperament TheoryA brief historical overview

• Mid 20th century researchers began to question
  this extreme environmentalism
• Bell Sameroff recognized that infants behavior
  influenced parent-child interactions
• Chess Thomas noticed some children with
  behavior problems had received good parenting,
  while some well adjusted children had received
  bad parenting.

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Temperament TheoryA brief historical overview

• These events suggested that both nature (inborn
  individual differences) and nurture (parenting)
  influence development
• Temperament reemerged as an influence on child
  development

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Temperament TheoryCommon ground

• Various theoretical approaches agree temperament
  
• is biologically based
• refers to individual differences
• is modifiable by environment
• exhibits a relative degree of stability over time

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Temperament Theory4 major theories

• Two theories focus on biological basis
• Rothbart Derryberry dual processes of
  reactivity and self-regulation, seen in an
  individuals emotional expression, activity, and
  attentional behavior. Some characteristics
  emerge with development.
• Buss Plomin inherited part of the personality,
  includes traits of emotionality, activity,
  sociability.

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Temperament Theory4 major theories

• Two theories focus on malleability of temperament
  in interaction with environment
• Goldsmith Campos individual differences in
  expression of emotionality (primary emotions
  anger, sadness, fear, joy, etc.) activity
• Chess Thomas behavioral style of an
  individual, distinguishable from
  cognition,motivation,or abilities.

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Temperament TheoryChess Thomas

• Environment can influence the behavioral
  expression of temperament, as well as its
  underlying nature
• Pioneering NYLS interviewed 133 parents of
  3-month-olds, followed them for over 30 years
• Identified 9 temperament traits by analyzing
  contents of interviews (clinical significance)

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Nine temperament traits

• Sensitivity
• Intensity
• Activity
• Biological rhythmicity
• Adaptability
• Approach/withdrawal
• Persistence
• Distractibility
• Mood

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Chess ThomasDifficultness concept

• Children with certain temperament traits were
  more likely to develop behavior problems
  (difficultness cluster)
• - high intensity
• - withdrawal from novelty
• - slow adaptability
• - low regularity
• - negative mood

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GOODNESS OF FIT   Demands and expectations of
people and the environment are compatible with
the childs temperament
PROVIDING
PROVIDING SUPPORT

STRUCTURE  
meet needs of while
meeting parents childs
temperament
and family needs   meet needs of
while
meeting school childs temperament
daycare
needs   respect childs
but setting limits on
temperament behaviors  
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Goodness of Fit

• Good fit leads to healthy development
• Poor fit puts children at risk for developing
  behavior problems

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Goodness of fit research

• Kochanska - childrens temperament fit well with
  parents socialization methods, children were
  higher in conscience development.
• Gentle discipline was effective at promoting
  conscience development for children with an
  inhibited temperament.
• Secure parent-child relationship predicted
  conscience development for uninhibited children.

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What traits are difficult?

• Any trait that make a good fit less likely
• Depends on the family, situation culture
• Super Harkness cross cultural study
• Chess Thomas NYLS study

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Difficultness Concept

• Concept of difficultness is universal (been
  described measured in many cultures)
• Difficultness is also culturally embedded every
  culture defines it differently
• Difficultness describes the relationship between
  the child and his environment.

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Goodness of fit modelImplications

• Sensitive effective parenting requires parents
  to adapt their expectations to provide a good fit
  with their childrens temperament
• Parents of children with challenging temperaments
  may need help understanding/managing behaviors
• Well-being of children and parents is promoted
  when goodness of fit exists.

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Video

• Know Your Child

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Why Temperament Education?

• First, parents look for child-rearing guidance
• Second, difficult temperament is associated with
  development of behavior problems (Morris,
  Cameron)
• Third, difficult child temperament has negative
  effect on parenting behaviors attitudes, p-c
  interactions and families

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Why Temperament Education?

• Difficult child temperament associated with
  increased stress, risk of depression lower
  self-efficacy (Sirignano Lachman, Cutrona
  Troutman)
• Mothers of difficult infants were less involved
  less responsive than mothers of easy infants (van
  den Boom, Susman-Stillman)
• Temperament can facilitate or impede the
  developing attachment relationship.

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Why Temperament Education?

• Mothers of difficult toddlers/preschoolers were
  less positive affectionate, less supportive or
  involved, more punitive less attached
• Parent-child interactions (with a difficult
  child) were more negative deteriorated in
  quality over time (Pettit Bates)
• Having a difficult child is associated with poor
  family functioning increased levels of family
  disruption (Sheeber Johnson)

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Group Activity

• Goodness of Fit Game
• Decide on approach that best fits with the
  childs temperament, and
• Best balances needs of parent/adult, child and
  others.

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Does Temperament Education Work?

• Sheeber, et al. evaluated effectiveness of a
  group temperament-based program for parents of
  preschool-age children
• Randomly assigned to three groups wait list
  control, social support, and intervention group
• Parents in social support and intervention groups
  met for 1 ½ to 2 hours weekly over a period of
  nine weeks

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Does Temperament Education Work?

• Intervention group mothers reported
• reduction in depression
• improvement in p-c relationship family
  functioning
• increase in self-efficacy
• reduction in childrens behavior problems

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Does Temperament Education Work?

• Van den Boom evaluated an intervention designed
  to improve goodness of fit between mothers and
  their irritable infants.
• Random assignment to intervention or control
• Intervention consisted of individual skill
  training sessions three 2-hour sessions held
  monthly between 6 and 9 months of age

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Does Temperament Education Work?

• Intervention group mothers (at 9 months) were
• More responsive visually attentive
• More appropriately controlling of their infants
  behavior
• Their infants, in turn, were
• More sociable
• More able to soothe themselves
• Less emotionally negative
• More engaged in exploratory behavior
• More likely to be securely attached at 12 months

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Major Temperament Areas

• Energy Activity
• Intensity
• Adjustability Adaptability
• Approach/Withdrawal
• Frustration tolerance (persistence)

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Secondary Areas(but still important areas)

• Sensitivity
• Regularity
• Distractibility (soothability)

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TEMPERAMENT-RELATED ISSUES  
ALL AGES
LOW ENERGY
HIGH
HIGH
ADJUST- ABILITY
 
LOW
Source James Cameron, Ph.D. Preventive Ounce
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TEMPERAMENT-RELATED ISSUES  
INFANCY
LOW ENERGY
HIGH
HIGH
ADJUST- ABILITY
 
LOW
Source James Cameron, Ph.D. Preventive Ounce
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TEMPERAMENT-RELATED ISSUES  
PRESCHOOLER
LOW ENERGY
HIGH
HIGH
TOO GOOD CHILD
PARENTAL BURNOUT
ADJUST- ABILITY
SHYNESS
BOLTING
FEW FRIENDS
LIMIT TESTING
 
DEPENDENCY
COM PLIANCE
GOING TO BED
SEPARATION PROBLEMS
LOW
GETTING TO SLEEP
Source James Cameron, Ph.D. Preventive Ounce
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Intense, slow adapting child

• Refuses adult requests
• Has strong likes/dislikes of food, clothing,
  activities (likes same old thing)
• Reacts intensely to certain triggers
• - intrusions (physical entering their space)
• - restrictions (limits or physical, like car
  seat)
• - obstacles
• - delays in plans
• - unconfirmed expectations
• - transitions

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Intense, slow adapting child cont.

• Repeatedly returns to forbidden activities
• Tends to hit, bite or fight with other children
• Has temper tantrums
• Has difficulty getting to sleep
• Refuses toilet training
• Parents feel no respect

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Transition problems among the slow adapting
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Limit testing of the active, slow adapting child
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Passive resistance of the low energy, low
frustration tolerance child
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PARENTING STYLE AND PARENTAL POLARIZATION
MIDDLE-GROUND PARENTING
DEMANDING UNACCOMODATING
OVER ACCOMODATING
NO EXPECTATIONS
PATIENT BUT FIRM
COLD-TURKEY
FREEDOM WITHIN LIMITS
NO FREEDOM
NO LIMITS
BOTH YOU AND ME TOGETHER
YOUR NEEDS ALWAYS FIRST
MY-WAY-OR-THE HIGWAY
Source James Cameron, Ph.D. Preventive Ounce
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Temperament issues where parents often polarize

• Sleep Getting to bed
• Night waking
• Getting in parents bed
• Mealtimes Sitting at table
• Eating new food
• Eating all food
• Social skills Toilet training
• Adjusting to preschool
• Compliance

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TEMPERAMENT-RELATED ISSUES
BEDTIME
REFUSAL TO GO TO BED
FREQUENT CURTAIN CALLS
SLOW GOING TO SLEEP
PARENTAL POLARIZATION
Over-accommodating
Demanding and unaccommodating
No consistent rest/nap/bed time
Sudden demand to go to bed
No limits on curtain calls
Get-to-bed! battles
No noise protection
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Thriving with Your Spirited Child

• http//www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/
• curriculum/spiritedchild/

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Parenting Your Unique Child

• Set of 12 age-paced fliers on temperament
• Describe
• What temperament is
• How parents can find out childs temperament
• Useful strategies for handling different
  temperaments
• Temperament parenting style

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Parenting Your Unique Child

• Available from UW-Extension Parenting Newsletter
  Website
• www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/parenting

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THE PREVENTIVE OUNCE WEBSITE ADDRESS
www.preventiveoz.org
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HOW DOES THE WEBSITE WORK?
PARENTS

• Complete Temperament Questionnaire
• On-line
• Submit Answers Over the Internet
• Immediately Receive Back Temperament Profile
• Learn Why High/Low Scores Occur On Each Scale
• Obtain Forecast of Likely-to-Occur Issues
• Learn Strategies for Managing High-Likelihood
  Issues (tailored to their childs temperament)

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Value of Temperament Education

• Reduce parental/adult guilt by expanding
• definition of normal
• 2. Understand childs behavior
• 3. Anticipate issues
• 4. Plan specific approaches to issues
• 5. Reduce parental polarization
• 6. Provide better fit between child and
• environment