When Does Temperament Affect Development & Behavior?

Infancy

• A person's personality development starts at birth. According to psychologists Zentler and Bates, temperamental qualities start to emerge in infancy. A child's infantile temperament influences the child's linguistic and motor development, and influences their behavior in early childhood. A child begins his early linguistic and motor development in adolescence. A child who has an overly hesitant or shy temperament, may be reluctant to interact with people and the world, and hence may be slow to learn words. A child who receives negative social feedback in infancy may go on to demonstrate shy and withdrawn behavior in social situations.

Childhood

• The middle childhood years are the years between ages 5 and 10. These years are important ones in a child's psychosocial development, as they are the earliest years in which identifiable personality traits start to emerge. According to psychology professor Michael Rutter, the only "Big Five" personality trait -- extroversion, neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness -- that does not correlate with temperament is "agreeableness." Consequently, every other personality trait we develop is partially influenced by our childhood temperament, since temperament is developed before personality traits. Long-term behavior patterns that may last into adulthood will be set by the way a child's temperament leads him to react to childhood experiences.

Adolescence

• The adolescent years (13 to 18) are important in a young person's social development. According to psychologist Erik Erikson, the key developmental issue of adolescence is that of identity vs. role confusion. Accordingly, a young person's temperament in his adolescent years will shape the social identity he ultimately adopts. A young person with an aggressive temperament, for example, may ultimately adopt a charismatic and popular identity, while a young person with a more withdrawn temperament may adopt a lower-status identity and become withdrawn. Typical adolescent behaviors, such as teenage rebellion on the one hand and academic perfectionism on the other, can be influenced by temperament.

Early Adulthood

• Temperament can affect a person's success in early adulthood. According to Erikson's theory of development, the most important developmental issue in early adulthood is that of intimacy vs. isolation. A person's temperament naturally will affect his outcomes in this regard. A person with a more warm and approachable temperament will tend to attract more friends and partners than a person with a withdrawn temperament. These temperamental differences will lead to different behavioral patterns in dating, some people being more monogamous and other people being less committed, for example.

Adulthood

• The influences of temperament on a person's behavior in adulthood and old age are somewhat subtler than at younger ages. Because young people are always busy learning and developing their personalities, there is much more room for them to have behavior shaped and molded. In adults, the effects of temperament on behavior and development have more to do with the ability to accomplish things. According to Erikson's theory, generativity vs. stagnation is the key developmental issue of adulthood. Adults with enterprising and work-tolerant temperaments are more likely to end up showing generative behavior, whereas adults with more depressive temperaments are more likely to end up stagnating. Generative adults are more likely than their occupationally stagnant peers to feel fulfilled in old age.