Temperament theories and Sense of self

Temperament

Early genetically based tendencies to respond in predictable ways; the foundation of personality

Temperament theorists

• Chess and Thomas

• Buss and Plomin

• Jerome Karen

Chess and Thomas sense of self (5 areas of assessment)

1. Typical mood

2. Regularity/ predictability of biological function

3. Approach or withdrawl from stimuli

4. Intensity of emotion

5. Adaptability to change in routine or to knew things

Easy 40%

• Positive mood (level tempered; usually happy)

• Regular routines

• Easily adapts to new experiences

Difficult (10%)

• Reacts negatively often irritable

• Cries frequently

• Irregular routine

• Slow to accept new experiences

Slow-to-warm (15%)

• Inactive

• Slow to adapt to new experiences but do eventually warm up

• Low intensity of mood

• Respond madly

Sense of Self: Buss and plomin

• Emily: emotionality

• Acts: Activity

• Social: Sociability

Emotionality

• Tendency to be distressed

• Same as “easy or difficult” in Chess and Thomas

• Sympathetic arousal

• 2 forms of distress

  • Fearful: try to escape

  • Angry: protest

Activity

• Tempo and vigor of movement

• High

  • Walk fast, jumps or bounce alot, high energy games

• Low

  • Placid

Sociability

• Tendency to prefer the company of others to being alone

• Extroversion/ introversion (remember OCEAN)

Sense of self: Jerome Kagan behavioral inhibition

• High emotionality

• Low sociability (Buss and Ploman)

• Any, restrained or distressed with unfamiliar situations or new people

Behavioral inhibition ages

• 4 mo. = wrinkle feet

• 21 mo. = long to warm up, retreat and fret

• Correlated to temperament @

  • 5 ½

  • 7 ½

  • 13

  • But only about 50% in adolescence

• Genetic bases:

  • ID twins: +.82

  • Frat twins: .47

Sense of self

Sense of self is an internal representation of yourself as an individual person

Defining/ developing sense of self

• Infants recognize they can cause things to happen (sense of agency)

• Infants recognize they can share a thought or perspective with someone else

• Infants visually recognize themselves as a distinct individual personal (self- recognition in the Rouge test)

Categorical self

Lewis and Brooks - Gunn

• Classify themselves into categories: what is like me, not like me

• Age: 1 year- “I’m not a baby, Susie”

• Gender: 18 mo.-“I am a boy. Those are girls, I’m not like them”

• Visible characteristics: 18-24 mo.- “I’m taller, have freckles, blonde hair, etc”

**** ALL BY 2****

Rouge test

• Putting a spot of red on a child's face and having them lookin a mirror

• This tests to see if they recognize themselves

  • positive Rouge test= Kids display self- recognition by wiping off red mark

  • Negative Rogue test= child doesn’t recognize themselves and thinks it’s another kid

  • This happens around 2 years old

Who developed the Rouge test?

Lewis and Brooks-Gun in 1979

What factors are associated with having a sense of self?

• Having lots of social experiences

• Having trust / secure attachment with their caregiver

Which animals show self-recognition w/ a mirror?

1. Humans

2. Magpies

3. Orangutans

4. Elephants

5. Dolphins

6. Gorillas

7. Chimpanzees

8. Bonobos