Temperament
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_441/1254254945T1bBHt.jpg
Everybody is different. These differences are made by our temperament, or differences reactivity and self-regulation. Reactivity is the quickness and intensity of emotional arrousal, attention, and motor activity. Self-regulation refers to strategies used to adjust reactivity (Berk, 2012, pp. 256).
Temperament is a key part of development emotional and social development. "Psychological traits that make up temperament are beleived to form the cornerstone of adult personality (Berk, 2012, pp. 256). Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess's model of temperment created three types of children: easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up.
Easy children: have regular routines in infancy and adapt easily to new experiences,
Difficult children: irregular in routines and slow to accept new experiences,
Slow-to-warm-up children: inactive, mild reactions to enviromental stimuli, and slow accept new experiences (Berk, 2012, pp. 256-257).
Mary Rothbart's model of temperament consists of six dimensions, represented by the three components of temperament: emotion, attention, and action. Emotion is charecterized by fearful distress, irritable distress, and positive affect; attention is charecterized by attention span/persistence, and action is charecterized by activity level. Effortful control, the ability to suppress a dominant response to execute a more adaptive response, is also included (Berk, 2012, pp. 257)(Rothbart & Bates, 2006). The stability of temperament is influenced by many factors. Temperament develops with age, meaning that stability is low in infancy/toddlerhood and moderate from pre-school on (Berk, 2012, pp. 257-260).
What influences temperament?. Evidence shows that heredity and the environment influence temperament (i.e. ethnicity and sex)(Berk, 2012, pp. 261). Effective parenting can contribute Thomas and Chess's Goodness-Of-Fit Model explains how temperament and the environment can produce favorable outcomes by manipulating the environment for a child's temperament (1977).
However, some environmental influences negatively effect temperament.
Psychologists Markus Jokela and Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen studied the association between low socioeconomic status and depression depending on temperament. They assessed 2,678 children at ages 3, 6,9, 12, 15, and 18 years old for depressive symptoms and temperament [novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependency, and persistence], along with a record of their current socioeconomic status [i.e.occupation, education level, income]. The results showed many correlations between temperament and socioeconomic status, such as reward persistence and occupational status. Low income and occupational status predicted depression for individuals with psychological distress. Also, persistence modified the effect of income (Jokela & Keltikangas-Jarvinen, 2011, pp.302-308).
Temperament can strongly influence an individual's socioeconomic status. Individuals with effortful control and persistence are more likely to be employed than individuals whom distressed. However, socioeconomic status can also influence temperament. During an economic depression in Russia, Russian infants were more negative and fearful than American infants (Gartstein, Slobodskaya, & Kinsht, 2003).
As a special educator, I will understand that temperament is effected by numerous factors [i.e. culture, gender, religion]. By using this knowledge, I can positively promote learning particular to an individual student's diverse background or need (1.4). Understanding the temperament of my students will help me better understand their ability to work. By observing a student's persistence, I can make assessments that are strict and relevant to fit their temperament (2.10). Since my student's will mostly be severely disabled, their temperament will effect engagement in learning. In this case, I will use strategies to and skills adapted to their personality to positively encourage engagement (3.16).
Temperament is a key part of development emotional and social development. "Psychological traits that make up temperament are beleived to form the cornerstone of adult personality (Berk, 2012, pp. 256). Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess's model of temperment created three types of children: easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up.
Easy children: have regular routines in infancy and adapt easily to new experiences,
Difficult children: irregular in routines and slow to accept new experiences,
Slow-to-warm-up children: inactive, mild reactions to enviromental stimuli, and slow accept new experiences (Berk, 2012, pp. 256-257).
Mary Rothbart's model of temperament consists of six dimensions, represented by the three components of temperament: emotion, attention, and action. Emotion is charecterized by fearful distress, irritable distress, and positive affect; attention is charecterized by attention span/persistence, and action is charecterized by activity level. Effortful control, the ability to suppress a dominant response to execute a more adaptive response, is also included (Berk, 2012, pp. 257)(Rothbart & Bates, 2006). The stability of temperament is influenced by many factors. Temperament develops with age, meaning that stability is low in infancy/toddlerhood and moderate from pre-school on (Berk, 2012, pp. 257-260).
What influences temperament?. Evidence shows that heredity and the environment influence temperament (i.e. ethnicity and sex)(Berk, 2012, pp. 261). Effective parenting can contribute Thomas and Chess's Goodness-Of-Fit Model explains how temperament and the environment can produce favorable outcomes by manipulating the environment for a child's temperament (1977).
However, some environmental influences negatively effect temperament.
Psychologists Markus Jokela and Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen studied the association between low socioeconomic status and depression depending on temperament. They assessed 2,678 children at ages 3, 6,9, 12, 15, and 18 years old for depressive symptoms and temperament [novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependency, and persistence], along with a record of their current socioeconomic status [i.e.occupation, education level, income]. The results showed many correlations between temperament and socioeconomic status, such as reward persistence and occupational status. Low income and occupational status predicted depression for individuals with psychological distress. Also, persistence modified the effect of income (Jokela & Keltikangas-Jarvinen, 2011, pp.302-308).
Temperament can strongly influence an individual's socioeconomic status. Individuals with effortful control and persistence are more likely to be employed than individuals whom distressed. However, socioeconomic status can also influence temperament. During an economic depression in Russia, Russian infants were more negative and fearful than American infants (Gartstein, Slobodskaya, & Kinsht, 2003).
As a special educator, I will understand that temperament is effected by numerous factors [i.e. culture, gender, religion]. By using this knowledge, I can positively promote learning particular to an individual student's diverse background or need (1.4). Understanding the temperament of my students will help me better understand their ability to work. By observing a student's persistence, I can make assessments that are strict and relevant to fit their temperament (2.10). Since my student's will mostly be severely disabled, their temperament will effect engagement in learning. In this case, I will use strategies to and skills adapted to their personality to positively encourage engagement (3.16).