Examining Temperament: Approach and Avoidance

Abstract

This was a mixed methods examination of the approach and avoidance dimensions of temperament. These dimensions were measured through parent examples given on the Structured Temperament Interview (STI). Parents were interviewed by a research assistant and were asked to give both quantitative and qualitative examples of their child's behaviors representing the different distinct dimensions of temperament. A principal components analysis was conducted to help select factors and items to be examined in the qualitative study. Three main factors emerged from the principal components analysis: Prefers Familiar / Routine; Sociability; and Risk Seeking Approach / Short Sighted Approach / Risky. The two items with the highest factor loadings on each of the three factors were chosen for further exploration in the qualitative analysis. The emphasis of this study was on quantifying and classifying the parent examples for the six main items chosen through the principal components analysis.