19.1: Introduction

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Amanda Taintor

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Introduction to Temperament

Perhaps you have spent time with several infants. How were they alike? How did they differ? How do you compare your siblings or other children you have known well? Have you heard stories from your parents or grandparents about what you were like as a baby? If you have any videos of yourself as a baby, what do they depict about how you thought about the world? You may have noticed that some infants seem to be more comfortable, friendly or in a better mood than others and that some are more sensitive to noise or more easily distracted. These differences may be attributed to temperament. Temperament refers to innate neurophysiologically-based characteristics of infants, including mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity, noticeable soon after birth.[1]

[1] Human Development by Human Development Teaching & Learning Group is licensed under a CC BY- NC-SA 4.0,