Strelau Temperament

A Psychological Perspective
1. Auflage 2005
ISBN: 978-0-306-47154-4
Verlag: Springer US
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 484 Seiten

Reihe: Perspectives on Individual Differences

Temperament is the first monograph in 40 years to present theories and basic findings in the field of temperament from a broad international and interdisciplinary perspective. The text, based on the author's four decades of personal study and data collection, thoroughly explores the physiological, biochemical, and genetic bases of temperament - incorporating age-specific methods of assessment developed through child- and adult-oriented approaches.

The 147 illustrations comprise tables of the most popular temperament inventories for both children and adults, and unique data tables illustrating the psychometric features of temperament inventories based on self-rating and rating by others.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Strelau, Jan

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Contents;14
2;1 The History and Understanding of the Concept of Temperament;18
2.1;Temperament from a Historical Perspective;18
2.1.1;The Speculative Approach to Temperament;19
2.1.2;The First Empirical Studies on Temperament;25
2.1.3;The Constitutional Typologies of Temperament;36
2.1.4;The Emotion-Oriented Understanding of Temperament;45
2.1.5;Temperament Understood as a Style of Behavior;48
2.1.6;Biology-Oriented Definitions of Temperament;49
2.1.7;Concluding Remarks Regarding the Understanding of Temperament;52
2.1.8;Temperament as a Component of Personality or as a Concept Synonymous with Personality;56
2.1.9;Aspects in Which Temperament and Non-Trait-Oriented Personality Concepts Differ;61
2.1.10;Temperament and the Big Five Factors of Personality;66
2.2;The Concept of Temperament;45
2.2.1;The Emotion-Oriented Understanding of Temperament;45
2.2.2;Temperament Understood as a Style of Behavior;48
2.2.3;Biology-Oriented Definitions of Temperament;49
2.3;Temperament and Personality;55
2.3.1;Temperament as a Component of Personality or as a Concept Synonymous with Personality;56
2.3.2;Aspects in Which Temperament and Non-Trait-Oriented Personality Concepts Differ;61
2.3.3;Temperament and the Big Five Factors of Personality;66
3;2 The Initiators of Contemporary Research on Temperament;76
3.1;Introduction;77
3.2;Eysenck’s Biological Theory of PEN;79
3.2.1;Roots of the PEN Theory;79
3.2.2;The Dimensions and Structure of Temperament;80
3.2.3;The Biological Background of PEN;83
3.2.4;Assessment Procedures Used for Diagnosing PEN;86
3.2.5;The Eysenckian Superfactors in Relation to Performance and Social Behavior;87
3.2.6;Critical Remarks;92
3.3;The Neo-Pavlovian Typology: Teplov and His School;94
3.3.1;Roots of Teplov’s Approach to Studies on Nervous System Properties in Man;95
3.3.2;The Concept of Temperament and Its Postulated Structure;96
3.3.3;Studies on Properties of the Central Nervous System;97
3.3.4;Methods Used for Assessing the CNS Properties;101
3.3.5;Properties of CNS in Relation to Behavior;105
3.3.6;Critical Remarks;106
3.4;The Interactional Theory of Temperament Developed by Thomas and Chess;107
3.4.1;Roots of the Interactional Theory of Temperament;107
3.4.2;The NYLS as Source and Evidence for the Interactional Theory of Temperament;108
3.4.3;Temperament Measures Applied by Thomas and Chess;112
3.4.4;Temperament and Behavior Disorders;112
3.4.5;Critical Remarks;115
4;3 Current Theories of Temperament;118
4.1;Child-Oriented Theories of Temperament;120
4.1.1;Buss and Plomin’s Behavior-Genetic Theory of Temperament;121
4.1.2;The Developmental Model of Temperament: Rothbart and Derryberry;128
4.1.3;The Emotion-Centered Theory of Temperament Developed by Goldsmith and Campos;136
4.1.4;Kagan’s Inhibited and Uninhibited Temperaments;141
4.2;Adult-Oriented Theories of Temperament;146
4.2.1;Mehrabian’s PAD (Pleasure–Arousability–Dominance) Temperament Model;148
4.2.2;The Neuropsychological Model of Temperament Developed by Gray;156
4.2.3;The Biological Theory of Sensation Seeking Developed by Zuckerman;163
4.2.4;Rusalov’s Theory of Temperament Based on a Functional Systems Approach;173
4.2.5;Strelau’s Regulative Theory of Temperament;179
5;4 Physiological and Biochemical Correlates of Temperament;188
5.1;Introduction;188
5.2;The Structure, Physiology, and Biochemistry of the Nervous System as Related to Temperament Characteristics;192
5.2.1;The Neuron;193
5.2.2;The Autonomic Nervous System;198
5.2.3;The Central Nervous System;200
5.2.4;Final Remarks;206
5.3;Psychophysiological Correlates of Temperament;206
5.3.1;Physiological Correlates of Temperament Referring to Autonomic Arousal;208
5.3.2;Physiological Correlates of Temperament Referring to Cortical Arousal;220
5.4;Biochemical Correlates of Temperament;240
5.4.1;Cortisol: The Hormone That Gained Highest Popularity in Temperament Studies;241
5.4.2;Temperament–Neurotransmitter Relationship;244
5.4.3;General Remarks;250
6;5 Behavior-Genetic Research on Temperament;254
6.1;Theoretical Issues of Behavior Genetics as Related to Temperament Research in Humans;255
6.1.1;Heritability as a Measure of the Contribution of Genetic Factors to Individual Differences in Behavior Characteristics;256
6.1.2;Basic Behavior-Genetic Methods Used in Temperament Studies;259
6.1.3;Relationships between Genes and Environment and the Genetic Regulation of Development;262
6.2;Behavior-Genetic Studies on Temperament: Selected Empirical Data;265
6.2.1;Studies on Animals as the First Step in Searching for the Genetic Determination of Individual Differences in Temperament;265
6.2.2;Extraversion and Neuroticism: The Two Temperament Traits Most Often Explored in Behavior- Genetic Studies;266
6.2.3;Heritability of Selected Temperament Traits;270
6.2.4;Developmental Changes in the Contribution of Genes and Environment to Individual Differences in Temperament;279
6.2.5;From Quantitative Genetics to Molecular Genetics;285
6.2.6;Final Remarks;286
6.3;Methods of Temperament Assessment;291
6.3.1;Assessment of Temperament Based on Observational Data;291
6.3.2;Psychophysical and Psychophysiological Indicators of Temperament Characteristics;298
6.3.3;Interview as a Source of Information Regarding Temperament;301
6.3.4;Questionnaire Approach to the Study of Temperament in Infants and Children1;304
6.3.5;Temperament Questionnaires for Adolescents and Adults;314
6.3.6;Strategies for Constructing Temperament Inventories, and Traits Measured by These Instruments;322
6.3.7;The Manifold Approach to Temperament Assessment;332
6.3.8;Construct Validity of Temperament Inventories Based on Psychophysiological and Psychophysical Measures;337
6.3.9;Temperament Assessment from a Cross-Cultural Perspective;344
7;6 Assessment of Temperament: Diagnosis and Methodological Issues;290
7.1;Methods of Temperament Assessment;291
7.1.1;Assessment of Temperament Based on Observational Data;291
7.1.2;Psychophysical and Psychophysiological Indicators of Temperament Characteristics;298
7.1.3;Interview as a Source of Information Regarding Temperament;301
7.2;Temperament Questionnaires;303
7.2.1;Questionnaire Approach to the Study of Temperament in Infants and Children1;304
7.2.2;Temperament Questionnaires for Adolescents and Adults;314
7.2.3;Strategies for Constructing Temperament Inventories, and Traits Measured by These Instruments;322
7.3;Selected Issues Related to Temperament Assessment;331
7.3.1;The Manifold Approach to Temperament Assessment;332
7.3.2;Construct Validity of Temperament Inventories Based on Psychophysiological and Psychophysical Measures;337
7.3.3;Temperament Assessment from a Cross-Cultural Perspective;344
8;7 The Functional Significance of Temperament;352
8.1;The Contribution of Temperament to Child Behavior and Adjustment in Adverse Situations;353
8.1.1;The Concept of Difficult Temperament;353
8.1.2;Temperament and Goodness of Fit;357
8.1.3;Difficult Temperament and Psychiatric Disorders;360
8.1.4;Difficult Temperament and Adjustment;362
8.1.5;Difficult Temperament in Clinical Samples;368
8.1.6;Temperament and Schooling;370
8.2;Temperament as a Moderator of Stress Phenomena;378
8.2.1;The Understanding of Stress Phenomena;379
8.2.2;Temperament and Stress: Hypothesized Relationships and Empirical Findings;382
8.2.3;Temperament as a Moderator of Stress Consequences: The Temperament Risk Factor;393
8.2.4;Final Remarks;404
9;Appendix;408
10;References;412
11;Index;470
12;More eBooks at www.ciando.com;0

Leseproben

4 Physiological and Biochemical Correlates of Temperament (p.171-172)

Introduction

Most definitions of temperament, apart from their specificity, emphasize the fact that temperament has some biological background, which may be expressed in different ways. Some authors refer rather generally to the constitutional makeup (e.g., G. W. Allport, 1937), or to the fact that temperament is inherited (e.g., Buss & Plomin, 1984). Others (e.g., H. J. Eysenck, 1970; Gray, 1982a, 1982b; Kagan, 1994; Zuckerman, 1979) specify the anatomo-physiological mechanisms and/or the biochemical factors underlying temperament characteristics. Very often researchers on temperament, when discussing the biology of this phenomenon, refer to all possible levels constituting the biological foundation of temperament (e.g., H. J. Eysenck, 1990b; Rothbart, 1989a; Strelau, 1983; Zuckerman, 199 1 c).

When posing questions about the biological bases of temperament, regardless of what might be included in the term "biology," we are confronted with at least two basic difficulties. First, what do we understand by temperament? Many discussions have arisen around this question (see Chapter 1), showing that, depending on the theory that researchers have followed, the population studied (children, adults, animals), or methods used, the definition of temperament differs. Thus the question arises: What is the phenomenon we are seeking a biological basis for? Since the probability is almost nil that there is a consistent biological basis for temperament in general, whatever the definition of this concept may be, the answer to this question may not be so important for studies on the biology of temperament.

Much more important is the kind of traits (dimensions) we include in the structure of temperament. In studying the biology of temperamental traits we face a key problem so far unsolved and from this emerges the second question: What temperamental traits are to be studied, and how many of them? Recently Strelau (1991b) has identified 81 traits within the domain of temperament, and Table 6.4 in Chapter 6 presents a list of 71 traits measured by means of temperament inventories. Independent of differences in quality, these traits also have a different degree of generality. Some are very specific traits (e.g., motor impulsiveness), most of them are first-order factors (e.g., impulsivity), and some are second-order factors (e.g., extraversion).

According to Zuckerman (1992), narrower traits are probably closer to biological levels than broader ones, which might be taken as a recommendation to focus biological studies on the very specific traits and first-order factors. On the other hand, the most cogent evidence on the biology of temperament traits has been acumulated with reference to second-order factors, for example, extraversion and neuroticism.

As a matter of fact, many researchers departing from different definitions of temperament agree that extraversion is an important temperament trait, but this does not mean that authors agree on what extraversion is (e.g., Cattell, 1965; H. J. Eysenck, 1970; Gray, 1991 ; Kagan, Reznick, & Snidman, 1988). Such a state of affairs has far-reaching consequences for conclusions regarding the biology of the trait under study.