Individual Differences in Emotion Temperament: Biologically based individual differences in emotional characteristics and other behaviors Show consistency across situations Moderately stable over time But temperament characteristics also often show changes over time

Temperament Dimensions: Fearful distress/Behavioral Inhibition Irritable distress Attention span/persistence Activity level Positive affect

Measurement of Temperament Parent report Questionnaires Structured Observation Psychophysiological Methods heart rate, brain wave activity, hormone levels

Temperament and Later Adjustment “Difficult” temperament may include: High irritable distress or fearful distress Low attention span/persistence High activity level Low positive affect

Difficult temperament in infancy/preschool period is correlated with adjustment problems later in life (adolescence, adulthood) But some infants/children with difficult temperament characteristics do not show adjustment problems later in life

Goodness-of-Fit Degree to which a child’s temperament is compatible with the expectations of the social environment (including the family environment) Poor goodness-of-fit likely to result in adjustment problems for children