1. Waddington’s epigenetic landscape

2. Consider your temperament and its impact on your adult relationships
Go to:
Click on the free Keirsey temperament sort in the upper right-hand corner
Complete and come to class on Thursday with a 1-2 sentence summary of your results and reaction to the results

3. Temperament Caspi & Moffitt: The New Zealand Study
Purpose: Is there continuity in temperament? Does early temperament predict adult outcomes?
Birth cohort assessed from birth to age 21

4. Temperament Identified 3 (+) groups, based on observations, at age 3:
1. Well-adjusted (~40%)-Similar to EASY
2. Undercontrolled (~10%; more boys)-Similar to DIFFICULT
3. Inhibited (~8%; more girls).-Similar to SLOW-TO-WARM UP

5. Temperament: At age 21
Well-adjusted group: At least average on measures of adult interpersonal functioning
Under-controlled and inhibited groups:
Lower on interpersonal functioning
Higher on interpersonal conflict
Higher on # of problems and lower on # of strengths
Low social support

6. Temperament: At age 21 Undercontrolled more likely to:
be fired; victims of crime; antisocial; described as unreliable; diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (predatory, callous, exploitative behavior) and alcohol dependency
Inhibited:
less affiliative; low social agency; less engaged and interested in world; more frequently diagnosed with clinical depression; but
more conscientious; good work habits; unconflicted romantic relationships

7. Temperament Conclusions:
Different temperamental styles observed at age 3 continued in interpersonal functioning at age 21, BUT:
Magnitude of continuity was modest, change occurs for some people
Early functioning predicts later functioning but is PROBABILISTIC, not deterministic
Lawful discontinuity (goodness-of-fit)

8. Conclusions Development is complicated Low to moderate stability
Greater stability for temperament vs. attachment
Greater stability linked to extreme or negative life events (e.g., abuse, depression)
Probabilistic, not deterministic