Open AccessThe structural and rank-order stability of temperament in young children based on a laboratory-observational measure.
Author(s) -
Margaret W. Dyson,
Thomas M. Olino,
C. Emily Durbin,
H. Hill Goldsmith,
Sara J. Bufferd,
Anna R. Miller,
Daniel N. Klein
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
psychological assessment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.96
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1939-134X
pISSN - 1040-3590
DOI - 10.1037/pas0000104
Subject(s) - temperament , impulsivity , psychology , structural equation modeling , observational study , dysphoria , developmental psychology , personality , stability (learning theory) , statistics , social psychology , anxiety , mathematics , psychiatry , machine learning , computer science
It is generally assumed that temperament traits exhibit structural and rank-order stability over time. Most of the research on structural and rank-order stability has relied on parent-report measures. The present study used an alternative approach, a laboratory-observational measure (Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery [Lab-TAB]), to examine the structural and rank-order stability of temperament traits in a community sample of young children (N = 447). Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we found that a similar 5-factor structure consisting of the dimensions of positive affect (PA)/interest, sociability, dysphoria, fear/inhibition, and impulsivity versus constraint provided an adequate fit to the data at both age 3 and 6 years, suggesting good structural stability. Moreover, all 5 latent factors exhibited significant, albeit modest, rank-order stability from age 3 to 6. In addition, there were significant heterotypic associations of age-3 sociability with age-6 PA/interest, and age-3 impulsivity versus constraint with age-6 fear/inhibition.