what influences a childs temperament

The 18 most influential factors on most children’s behavior

More items

Full Answer

How does temperament affect a child’s behavior?

Temperamental variation influences the parent’s response to the child. The goodness of fit between a child’s temperament and parental style can have an impact on the child’s attachment and long-term social adjustment. Temperament can influence a child’s vulnerability to the adverse effects of life events.

What are the different temperament types of children?

Many, but not all, children tend to fall into one of three broad and somewhat loosely defined categories: easy, slow to warm up or shy, or difficult or challenging. These labels are a useful shorthand, but none offers a complete picture of a child. Many parents find it more useful to think about their child in terms of the nine temperament traits.

What are the characteristics of temperament in psychology?

Characteristics of temperament. Intensity: the energy level with which a child responds to a situation, whether positive or negative. Mood: the mood, positive or negative, or degree of pleasantness or unfriendliness in a child's words and behaviors.

How is a child’s temperament modified?

It is somewhat modified (particularly in the early years of life) by his experiences and interactions with other people, with his environment and by his health. By the time a child has reached the school years, his temperament is well defined and quite apparent to those who know him.

What factors affect your temperament?

Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess, researchers, found that temperament is influenced by nine temperament traits: activity, regularity, initial reaction, adaptability, intensity, mood, distractibility, persistence-attention span, and sensory threshold.

What factors influence a child's temperament quizlet?

Genetics plays a strong role in shaping temperament, but environmental factors can also influence it. The way parents and caregivers respond and adapt to children, can mitigate challenging aspects of their temperament.

Can parents influence a child's temperament?

Parenting is a major influence on children's developing socially appropriate and competent behavior.

What determines an infant's temperament?

Temperament is a child's early-appearing variation in emotional responses and reaction to the environment. Child temperament is a result of biological and environmental factors working together throughout a child's development since conception rather than based entirely on genetics​1,2​.

Which of the following is a dimension of temperament?

Additionally there are five key dimensions of temperament including activity level, approach/positive emotionality, inhibition and anxiety, negative emotionality/irritabiltiy/anger and effortful control/task persistence.

At what age do children start to show the first signs of separation anxiety?

Although some babies display object permanence and separation anxiety as early as 4 to 5 months of age, most develop more robust separation anxiety at around 9 months. The leave- taking can be worse if your infant is hungry, tired, or not feeling well. Keep transitions short and routine if it's a tough day.

Which parent has the most influence on a child?

According to a new study funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in the European Journal of Public Health, our moms impact the way we raise our own kids much more than our dads do. And that's not all; their parenting style in particular has a lot to do with the way we turn out, too. As for Dad's influence?

Are temperaments genetic?

Scientists estimate that 20 to 60 percent of temperament is determined by genetics. Temperament, however, does not have a clear pattern of inheritance and there are not specific genes that confer specific temperamental traits.

What are the 3 types of child temperament?

There are three general types of temperaments: easy-going, slow-to- warm, and active.

What are the four types of temperament?

The four temperaments described individuals as sanguine (optimistic, social, and associated with the element of air), melancholic (analytical, quiet, earth), choleric (short-tempered, irritable, fire), and phlegmatic (relaxed, peaceful, water) (Buckingham, 2002).

What is the most common temperament?

1. Sanguine. The most common temperament style, it can be found in men and women equally. Sanguine are usually people-oriented, outgoing, extroverted, talkative, and social.

Are you born with temperament?

The traits of temperament are mostly innate traits that we are born with, although they can be influenced by an individual's family, culture or their experiences. A person's temperament style plays a role in how they behave and interact with other people and within their world.

What are the four categories of temperament quizlet?

Terms in this set (4)Easy. -40% -positive mood. -regular/rhythmic body functions. -adaptable. ... Difficult. -10% -negative mood. -active. -irregular/arrhythmic. ... Slow-to-Warm-Up 9 ("Shy") -15% -withdraw from novelty. -slow to adapt. ... Average. -35% -not particularly high or low on any dimensions.

What is temperament in psychology quizlet?

temperament. a person's characteristic modes of responding emotionally and behaviorally to environmental events, including such attributes as activity level, irritability, fearfulness, and sociability.

What is one of the four categories of temperament?

According to Galen, the imbalance of pairs resulted in one of the four temperament categories (or personality types): sanguine (being optimistic and social), choleric (being short-tempered and irritable), melancholic (being analytical and quiet), and phlegmatic (being relaxed and peaceful).

What are the three basic types of infant temperament quizlet?

children are born with distinct temperaments, what are the three types?...Terms in this set (6)easy.slow to warm up.difficult.

How does temperament affect children?

Your child’s temperament directly affects how she approaches her school work and chores at home. When a child’s natural behavior doesn’t fit with what is expected, social, family, or academic problems may arise.

How many temperaments are there?

Nine different temperament traits affect how well your child fits in at school, with peers, and at home.

How does LD affect behavior?

Are those traits liable to enhance her performance or cause additional problems for her? For example, auditory processing difficulties may be aggravated by low sensitivity; memory problems may be intensified by high distractibility. High persistence and low distractibility, on the other hand, tend to benefit most kids — with or without LD or ADHD.

Why is it so hard for kids to stay on task?

At school, the more active child struggles to fit into an environment where suddenly she is expected to sit still for long periods of time. Her fidgeting and restlessness may disrupt the class and make it difficult for her to stay on task, but extra energy can be a benefit if channeled in a positive direction. In contrast, kids with low activity levels adapt well to a structured school day but may be viewed as unmotivated.

What happens when a child's behavior doesn't fit with what is expected?

When a child’s natural behavior doesn’t fit with what is expected, social, family, or academic problems may arise. For a child with an identified learning disability (LD) or behavior issues, her particular temperament may help her achieve success more easily or it may compound her difficulties. Advertisement.

What does it mean when a child is overly sensitive?

But a child who is overly responsive may drain a parent’s or teacher’s resources due to the child’s intense feeling level. Kids who react mildly still feel all these emotions but do not exhibit such highs and lows in their responses. Low intensity is easier to deal with, but parents and teachers must be alert to more subtle signs of problems.

Why are rigid children less susceptible to negative influences?

More rigid children, those slower to adapt, may be less susceptible to negative influences. However, they may find new situations stressful and difficult — a potential problem in school, where change is frequent and the number of transitions increase through the grades.

What is temperament in psychology?

Temperament is defined as the components of our personalities, such as being outgoing or being shy, that we are born with. Children are born with their own individual way of reacting to or handling the world around them that is innate, rather than learned or something that they choose.

How does external stimuli affect children's behavior?

The degree to which external stimuli (sounds, sights, etc.) can affect a child's concentration and behavior . High distractibility: Kids are easily distracted by noises and things they see; have trouble concentrating; very distracted by any small discomfort such as being hungry.

What is high distractibility?

High distractibility: Kids are easily distracted by noises and things they see; have trouble concentrating; very distracted by any small discomfort such as being hungry.

How do children respond to changes in their environment?

How a child responds to changes in his environment. High adaptability: Kids handle transitions well and quickly adapt to changes in a situation. Low adaptability: Kids need more time to handle transitions and may cry and cling to mom, dad, or a caregiver when faced with a new situation. Coping Strategies for Kids.

What is a positive mood?

Positive mood: Kids who have positive mood tend to be generally cheerful, pleasant, and friendly. Negative mood: Kids who have a mood that veers toward negative tend to be cranky, unfriendly, and more prone to crying. Discipline to Meet Your Child's Needs.

How to help a child who has a meltdown?

If you have a child who tends to have a meltdown if things don’t go the way they wanted, help them express their feelings in a more calm and respectful way, without tears and tantrums. But don’t make them feel like they should not express themself or be less confident about what they want. Think about your child and describe your child to others as someone who is very sure about what she wants and likes and is not afraid to express her opinions.

How to not make your child the same?

Don’t engage in comparisons: Try not to say to your child things like, “Your brother doesn’t do that,” or “Your friend isn’t like this.” Children are individuals, with different temperaments and preferences and reactions. Our job is to parent to the child, not to make all children the same.

What are the factors that affect a child's behavior?

9) Change in family situation. Change is a common factor that influences your child’s behavior. Divorce and separations, death in the family, illness, and so on, are likely to modify your child’s behavior. Other changes such as the transition from preschool to elementary school or even the fact of having to change teachers can also influence your ...

What is the most common factor that influences a child's behavior?

Child specialists agree that feelings of disconnect are among the most common factors that influence children’s behavior. In other words, the more your child feels disconnected, the higher the chances that she will behave inappropriately.

Why do young children have inappropriate behavior?

One of the reasons that explain this behavior is that young children are yet to learn how to deal with strong emotions, and this is reflected in inappropriate behavior. The good news is that simple age-appropriate tools can help teach your child how to react more appropriately to difficult emotions.

How does positive reinforcement help children?

This is why positive reinforcement is one of the most effective discipline strategies to help you rid your child of inappropriate behavior. That said, this strategy is not designed as a means to “bribe your child” to obtain specific behavior. Rather, it is supposed to help him reduce specific negative behavior and replace that with positive behavior over the long-term. If you would like to try out positive reinforcement in a way that actually works, specific tools exist to walk you through the process.

How do expectations affect behavior?

The expectations you have of your child influence his behavior. The more you expect him to act inappropriately, the more he will. The opposite is also true – showing your child that you believe he is capable of good behavior increases the chances that he will behave according to your expectations.

Why is it important to understand your child's behavior?

In other words, understanding the factors that drive your child’s behavior is the easiest way to put an end to misbehavior.

Why is it not uncommon for a child to behave worse at certain moments of the day?

That is why it is not uncommon for your child to “behave worse” at certain moments of the day (for example right after school) or when the wait time between meals is too long. Adopting some form of eating schedule can be an easy way to make meals more regular.

How can I better understand my child's temperament?

Some children are "easy." They are predictable, calm, and approach most new experiences in a positive way. Other children are more difficult, not able to manage their emotional experiences and expression with ease. When a child's personality doesn't quite fit or match that of other family members, it can be a challenge for everyone. Of course no child is one way all the time, but each has his own usual type.

How many characteristics are there in temperament?

There are at least nine major characteristics that make up temperament.

What are the traits of an easy child?

Many parents find it more useful to think about their child in terms of the nine temperament traits. The easy child responds to the world around him in an easy manner. His mood is positive, and he is mildly to moderately intense. He adapts easily to new schools and people.

What is the ease with which a child adjusts to his environment?

The ease with which a child adjusts to his environment is strongly influenced by his temperament - adaptability and emotional style. For the most part, temperament is an innate quality of the child, one with which he is born. It is somewhat modified (particularly in the early years of life) by his experiences and interactions with other people, ...

What is a slow to warm up child?

Another temperamental profile may reveal a somewhat slow-to-warm-up or shy child who tends to have moods of mild intensity, usually, but not always negative. He adapts slowly to unfamiliar surroundings and people, is hesitant and shy when making new friends, and tends to withdraw when encountering new people and circumstances. Upon confronting a new situation, he is more likely to have problems with anxiety, physical symptoms or separation. Over time, however, he will become more accepting of new people and situations once he becomes more familiar with them.

What is the term for the way a child initially responds to a new stimulus?

Approach and withdrawal: the way a child initially responds to a new stimulus (rapid and bold or slow and hesitant), whether it be people, situations, places, foods, changes in routines or other transitions.

What is the ease with which a child can be distracted from a task by environmental stimuli?

Distractibility: the ease with which a child can be distracted from a task by environmental (usually visual or auditory) stimuli.

What is temperament in psychology?

Temperament has a much broader definition. Temperament is all about how we face the world and respond to it day-in and day-out. It is made up of nine characteristics, each of which influences our responses.

Who discovered temperament?

The notion of temperament came about as a result of a landmark study done by Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas in the 1950s (New York Longitudinal Study – if you’d like to Google it). During this study, Chess and Thomas observed preschool children over a period of time and made notes of their observations. From these notations, they identified the nine traits that have become known as temperament. There has been much temperament research done since then and it is still ongoing. But no one has significantly defined temperament differently from Chess and Thomas.

What is temperament in children?

Glossary. Children are born with a certain temperamental disposition. Their temperament guides how they approach the world, and affects how people respond to them. What determines our unique temperament?

What factors influence temperament?

Genetic factors help determine our temperament, but they are just part of the picture. Environmental factors and experiences play a big role in shaping our temperament. Next we’ll explore how culture and social groups, gender, and parenting practices influence temperament. Temperament in Early Childhood. Title Page.

How much of our temperament comes from genetics?

About 50% of differences in our temperament come from our genetics. Genetics have a stronger influence on some temperament traits. For instance, a child is more likely to inherit a disposition for negative compared to positive emotions. Scientists have found a link between a specific gene and individual differences in serotonin levels.