Continuity of father-rated temperament from infancy to middle childhood.
Continuity of father-rated temperament in Finnish children (n=115) aged from 6 months (the IBQ) to 5.5 years (the CBQ) was explored within the theoretical framework developed by Rothbart. Father-rated activity level, smiling and laughter and distress to limitations showed significant differential homotypic and heterotypic continuity, while soothability, duration of orienting and fear showed significant differential heterotypic continuity. On the level of latent superconstructs, father-rated positive and negative infant affectivity accounted for 5.1, 22.7 and 10.0% of the variance in childhood extraversion, effortful control and negative affectivity, respectively. Inter-parental comparisons (n=109 family units) revealed that father-rated continuity was similar to mother-rated continuity. These findings give empirical credence to Rothbart's theory and to father-rated temperamental continuity from infancy onwards.
Komsi
Niina
N
Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Räikkönen
Katri
K
Heinonen
Kati
K
Pesonen
Anu-Katriina
AK
Keskivaara
Pertti
P
Järvenpää
Anna-Liisa
AL
Strandberg
Timo E
TE
D000367:Age Factors; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013694:Temperament