Temperament in the developmental course: a longitudinal comparison of New York Longitudinal Study-derived dimensions with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory.
OBJECTIVE
Despite theoretical discrepancies between different concepts of temperament, some core dimensions are thought to be common to the various models. We compared temperamental traits derived from the New York Longitudinal Study (NYLS) model and the Cloninger dimensions in the developmental course and investigated the associations of temperament with sex as well as with obstetric risks or psychosocial risks present at birth.


METHODS
Participants were 151 boys and 157 girls born at differing degrees of obstetric and psychosocial risk from a longitudinal study on a high-risk community sample. In infancy and childhood, NYLS-derived temperamental characteristics were assessed by a highly structured parent interview and standardized behavioral observations. At age 15 years, the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory/12-18 was administered.


RESULTS
Moderate correlations were found between Junior Temperament and Character Inventory scales in adolescence and NYLS-derived factors in childhood. The psychosocial risk load seemed to influence the expression of novelty seeking or corresponding NYLS-derived factors, whereas the obstetric risks did not contribute to variation in temperament. Our findings further support highly sex-specific gene x environment interactions on temperament in the developmental course.


CONCLUSIONS
The content of our NYLS-derived factors and the specific type of association across different temperament constructs fit into the increasing consensus regarding a small number of higher-order temperamental traits.
Pitzer
Martina
M
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 12 21 20, 68072 Mannheim, Germany. martina.pitzer@zi-mannheim.de
Esser
Guenter
G
Schmidt
Martin H
MH
Laucht
Manfred
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010556:Personality Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013694:Temperament