Connections between Temperament and Social Development: A Review

Abstract

This paper critically reviews the literature on the links between temperament and social development in children and adolescents. Social development is broadly defined to include externalizing and internalizing behaviour problems, prosocial behaviour and social competence. It concludes that there are clear links between specific dimensions of temperament and particular aspects of social development. Examples include the association of negative reactivity with externalizing behaviour problems, inhibition with internalizing behaviour problems, and attention regulation with school functioning. Theoretical and methodological issues to be confronted in future research are identified, including the need to investigate further the interactions between temperament and social context. Analysis of patterns of change in temperament, in relation to physiological changes and to such factors as parenting and socio-cultural expectations of children, promise to refine our understanding of how temperament works in context. Some practical implications which can be drawn from the research are also discussed.

Growth in temperament and parenting as predictors of adjustment during children's transition to adolescence.

“…In addition, child-focused interventions that provide anger management and problem-solving skills and enhance effortful control might improve parent-child relationships. Both might reduce problems and promote adaptive outcomes in children (Sanson et al, 2004). Latent growth model of the bidirectional relation between temperament and parenting conditioned on family income and predicting adjustment problems.…”

“…Keywords demographic risk; temperament; parenting; adjustment problems; early adolescence Both parenting (Frick, 1994;Loeber & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1986; Maccoby & Martin, 1993) and temperament (Rothbart & Bates, 1998;Sanson, Hemphill, & Smart, 2004) are important predictors of children's adjustment, and their effects are additive, with each contributing unique variance above the other (e.g., Bates, Pettit, Dodge, & Ridge, 1998;Halpern, Garcia Coll, Meyer, & Bendersky, 2001;Rubin, Hastings, Chen, Stewart, & McNichol, 1998;Smith & Prior, 1995). Moreover, transactional models in which parenting and child characteristics are mutually influential have been suggested to explain the development of adjustment problems (e.g., Halpern et al, 2001;Maccoby, 1992;Reiss & Price, 1996;Rothbart & Bates, 1998;Sanson et al, 2004). However, few studies have examined the relations between temperament and parenting during the transition to adolescence using longitudinal, growth analyses.…”

The interaction between temperament and the family environment in adolescent substance use and externalizing behaviors: Support for diathesis–stress or differential susceptibility?

“…Although various studies have examined temperament and the family environment separately as predictors of substance use and externalizing behaviors, models taking into account their joint effects are needed to explain the development of adolescent substance use and externalizing behaviors (Sanson et al, 2004). These include but are not restricted to moderation effects, which will be the focus of the present review.…”

The Role of Child’s Temperament Predictor on Preschool Social Competence

“…More importantly, developing social competence in preschool children may reduce the likelihood of these children showing emotional/behavioral adaptation (such as internalization and externalization problems) (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006;Sanson, Hemphill, & Smart, 2004).…”