Temperament refers to biologically based individual differences in emotional and behavioral tendencies that appear early in life and remain relatively stable over time. Psychologists have linked temperament to personality traits, showing how innate dispositions shape personality development. Below is an overview of temperament theories and their connection to personality traits based on psychological research.
1. Temperament Theories & Their Link to Personality Traits
Several psychological frameworks explore the relationship between temperament and personality. The most influential ones include:
(A) Thomas & Chess’s Temperament Model (1977)
This model categorizes infants into three temperament types:
- Easy (40%) → Adaptable, positive mood, regular routines.
- Difficult (10%) → Intense emotions, irregular routines, slow adaptability.
- Slow-to-Warm-Up (15%) → Low activity, withdrawal from new situations, gradual adaptability.
🔹 Connection to Personality:
- “Easy” children may develop into extraverted, agreeable adults.
- “Difficult” children may develop into neurotic or less conscientious adults.
- “Slow-to-warm-up” children may become introverted or cautious adults.
(B) Rothbart’s Three-Dimensional Model of Temperament
Rothbart (1981) proposed that temperament consists of three broad dimensions:
- Surgency/Extraversion → High activity, impulsivity, and sociability.
- Related Personality Traits: High Extraversion, low Neuroticism.
- Negative Affectivity → Proneness to frustration, sadness, and fear.
- Related Personality Traits: High Neuroticism.
- Effortful Control → Ability to focus attention, self-regulate emotions, and inhibit impulses.
- Related Personality Traits: High Conscientiousness, low Impulsivity.
(C) Eysenck’s Biological Theory of Temperament
Hans Eysenck (1967) linked temperament to biological differences in brain functioning:
- Extraversion (low cortical arousal) → Sociable, outgoing, sensation-seeking.
- Neuroticism (high limbic system reactivity) → Emotionally unstable, anxious, moody.
- Psychoticism (low impulse control) → Aggressive, tough-minded, antisocial.
🔹 Connection to Personality:
Eysenck’s model laid the foundation for the Big Five Personality Traits, especially Extraversion and Neuroticism.
(D) Kagan’s Inhibited vs. Uninhibited Temperament
Jerome Kagan (1994) studied biological markers of temperament, showing that:
- Inhibited children (shy, avoidant of novelty) → More likely to develop introversion and high neuroticism.
- Uninhibited children (fearless, sociable) → More likely to develop extraversion and openness.
2. Temperament & the Big Five Personality Traits
Modern research suggests temperament is a precursor to the Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN model):
| Temperament Trait | Big Five Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| Surgency/Extraversion | 🟢 Extraversion (sociability, energy) |
| Negative Affectivity | 🔴 Neuroticism (emotional instability, anxiety) |
| Effortful Control | 🟢 Conscientiousness (self-discipline, organization) |
| Inhibition (Kagan) | 🔵 Introversion & Neuroticism |
| Openness to Experience | 🔵 Influenced by cognitive flexibility in childhood |
3: How Temperament Influences Personality Development
Early temperament shapes later experiences → A highly active toddler (surgency) may grow into an energetic and social adult.
Environmental factors interact with temperament → A shy child in a supportive environment may develop confidence, reducing the likelihood of high neuroticism.
Self-regulation moderates temperament → Those with high effortful control are more adaptable, regardless of their natural emotional tendencies.
4: The Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN Model)
The Big Five is a widely accepted model that describes personality in terms of five major dimensions:
1- Openness to Experience – Creativity, curiosity, and willingness to try new things.
- High: Imaginative, open to new ideas, artistic.
- Low: Traditional, prefers routine, pragmatic.
2- Conscientiousness – Organization, discipline, and goal-directed behavior.
- High: Responsible, detail-oriented, reliable.
- Low: Spontaneous, disorganized, careless.
3- Extraversion – Social energy, assertiveness, and enthusiasm.
- High: Outgoing, energetic, enjoys social interaction.
- Low: Reserved, quiet, prefers solitude (introverted).
4- Agreeableness – Compassion, cooperation, and consideration for others.
- High: Kind, empathetic, trusting.
- Low: Competitive, skeptical, blunt.
5- Neuroticism – Emotional stability and tendency to experience negative emotions.
- High: Anxious, moody, emotionally reactive.
- Low: Calm, emotionally stable, resilient.
In this YouTube video, Jordan Peterson explains how Personality Predicts Success in Different Fields.
Conclusion
Temperament provides a biological foundation for personality traits, but environmental experiences, social interactions, and cognitive development also shape personality over time.
IF you desire more:
(1) McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1997). Personality trait structure as a human universal. American Psychologist, 52(5), 509-516.
(2) Goldberg, L. R. (1993). The structure of phenotypic personality traits. American Psychologist, 48(1), 26-34.
(3) Digman, J. M. (1990). Personality structure: Emergence of the five-factor model. Annual Review of Psychology, 41(1), 417-440.
