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Chapter 6: Problem 10

Define temperament, and describe how it affects a child in the first two years of life. Temperament encompasses enduring levels of arousal and emotionality that are characteristic of an individual. Temperamental differences underlie the broad classification of infants into easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm categories.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Temperament is the set of inherent or intrinsic personality traits displayed by an individual, which significantly influences a child's behavior, emotions, and learning abilities during their first two years. It can be classified into easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm types, impacting a child's comfort with new situations and their adjustment speed.

Step by step solution

01

Define Temperament

Temperament refers to enduring levels of arousal and emotionality that are considered characteristic of an individual. It is consistent over time, beginning in infancy and often lasting throughout life. In other words, it is a form of inherent or inherent personality traits exhibited by a person (infant in this case).
02

Classify Temperament

Temperament can be classified into three types: easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up. 'Easy' infants are generally calm, happy and adaptable; 'difficult' infants are often fussy and easily frustrated; 'slow-to-warm' infants are generally shy and often uncomfortable with novelty or change.
03

Discuss the Influence of Temperament on Early Development

Temperament can affect many aspects of a child's development, including their behavior, emotional development, and social relationships. For instance, an \'easy\' temperamental child adjusts more comfortably to new situations and people, hence, learning faster during their first two years. On the contrary, a 'difficult' temperamental child might experience more challenges adapting to changes, hence, their learning could be slightly slower compared to an 'easy' temperamental child. 'Slow-to-warm' infants might have a moderate pace of learning and adaptation, needing more time to adjust to experiences or people but eventually catching up.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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