WEEK 13 Flashcards
________identified nine separate characteristics that define temperament or how children react to situations. Each child’s pattern is made up of a combination of these individual elements.
Chess and Thomas (1995)
among children differs widely. Some babies are constantly on the go and rarely quiet. They wiggle and squirm in their crib as early as 2 weeks of age. Parents put such children to sleep in one end of a crib and find them in the other end an hour later; such children will not stay seated in bathtubs and refuse to be confined in playpens. Other babies, by contrast, move little, stay where they are placed, and appear to take in their environment in a quieter, more docile way. Both patterns are normal; they merely reflect two extremes of motor activity, one characteris- tic of temperament.
Activity Level
Even as infants, such children tend to wake up at the same time each morning, are hungry at regular 4-hour periods, nap at the same time every day, and have a bowel movement at the same time every day. They are predictable and easy to care for because their par- ents learn early on what to expect from them.
Rhythmicity
refers to a child’s response on initial contact with a new stimulus. They smile and “talk” to strangers and accept a first feeding or a new food without spitting up or fussing. They explore new toys without appre- hension.
Approach
ability to change one’s reaction to stimuli over time. Infants who are adaptable can change their first reaction to a situation without exhibiting extreme distress. The first time such children are placed in a bathtub they might protest loudly, for example, but by the third time they sit splashing happily. This is in contrast to infants who cry for months whenever they are put into a bathtub or who cannot seem to accustom themselves to a new bed, new car seat, or new caregiver.
Adaptability
Some children react to situations with their whole being. They cry loudly, thrash their arms, and begin temper tantrums when their diapers are wet, when they are hungry, and when their parents leave them. Others rarely demonstrate such overt symptoms of anger or have a mild or low-intensity reaction to stress.
Intensity of Reaction
Children who are easily distracted or who can easily shift their attention to a new situation (distractibility) are easy to care for. If they are crying over the loss of a toy, they can be appeased by the offer of a different one.
Distractibility
ability to remain interested in a project or activity. Like other aspects of temperament, this varies among children. Some play by themselves with one toy for an hour; others spend no more than 1 or 2 minutes with each toy. The degree of persistence also varies. Some infants keep trying to perform an activity even when they fail time after time; others stop try- ing after one unsuccessful attempt
Attention Span and Persistence
in- tensity level of stimulation that is necessary to evoke a reaction. Children with a low threshold need little stimulation; those with a high threshold need intense stimulation before they become upset over a situation.
Threshold of Response.
A child who is always happy and laughing has a positive mood quality. Obviously, this can make a major difference in the parents’ enjoyment of a child. Parents are bound to spend more time with a child who is always happy than with a child who has a negative mood quality.
Mood Quality
CATEGORIES OF TEMPERAMENT
The Easy Child
The Difficult Child
Slow-to-Warm-Up Child
Children are rated as “easy to care for” if they have a predictable rhythmicity, approach and adapt to new situations readily, have a mild to moderate in- tensity of reaction, and have an overall positive mood quality. Most children are rated by their par- ents as being in this category.
The Easy Child
Children are “difficult” if they are irregular in habits, have a negative mood quality, and withdraw rather than approach new situations. Only about 10% of children fall into this category.
The Difficult Child
Children fall into this category if they are overall fairly inactive; respond only mildly and adapt slowly to new situations, and have a general negative mood. About 15% of children display this pattern. When discussing this temperament with parents, try to use positive terms such as “ways to find a healthy fit for your child” rather than stressing ways the child is hard to manage.
Slow-to-Warm-Up Child
One instrument that is helpful in evaluating temperament is the
Carey-McDevitt Infant Temperament Questionnaire
Carey-McDevitt Infant Temperament Questionnaire (Carey & McDevitt, 1978). This consists of_____ responses and can be answered by a parent in approximately______ min- utes.
95
25
arrhythmic, withdrawing, low in adaptability, intense, and negative in mood
Difficult
inactive, low in approach and
adapt- ability, and negative in mood
Slow to warm up
some characteristics of both
groups
Intermediate
rhythmic, approaching, adaptable, mild, and positive in mood
Easy
The following environmental influences are those most likely to affect growth and development.
Socioeconomic Level
Parent–Child Relationship
Ordinal Position in the Family
Health
__________could leave a child prone to rickets, a disease that affects growth by causing shortening or bowing of long bones.
Lack of calcium
_________ can lead to visual impairments, poor healing, and poor bone growth
Lack of vitamins
development of chronic illness.
heart disease
cancer
cerebrovascular disease
diabetes mellitus
cirrhosis
and arteriosclerosis.
