The Global Temperament Project: Parent-Reported Temperament in Infants, Toddlers and Children from 59 Nations

Putnam, S. P.; Selec, E.; French, B.; Gartstein, M. A.; Lira Luttges, B.; Partners in the Global Temperament Project

Abstract

Data from 83,423 parent reports of temperament (Surgency, Negative Affectivity, and Regulatory Capacity) in infants, toddlers and children from 341 samples gathered in 59 countries were used to investigate the relations among culture, gender and temperament. Between-nation differences in temperament were larger than those obtained in similar studies of adult personality, and most pronounced for Negative Affectivity. Nation-level patterns of Negative Affectivity were consistent across infancy, toddlerhood and childhood; and patterns of Regulatory Capacity were consistent between infancy and toddlerhood. Nations that previously reported high Extraversion, high Conscientiousness, and low Neuroticism in adults were found to demonstrate high Surgency in infants and children; and countries reporting low adult Openness and high adult Neuroticism reported high temperamental Negative Affectivity. Negative Affectivity was high in Southern Asia, Western Asia and South America; and low in Northern and Western Europe. Countries in which children were rated as high in Negative Affectivity had cultural orientations reflecting Collectivism, high Power Distance, and Short-Term Orientation. Surgency was high in Southeastern and Southern Asia and Southern Europe, and low in Eastern Asian countries characterized by philosophies of Long-Term Orientation. Low personal income was associated with high Negative Affectivity. Gender differences in temperament were largely consistent in direction with prior studies, revealing higher Regulatory Capacity in females than males and higher Surgency in males than females; with these differences becoming more pronounced at later ages.

Citation

Putnam, S. P., Selec, E., French, B., Gartstein, M. A., Lira Luttges, B., & Partners in the Global Temperament Project. (in press). The Global Temperament Project: Parent-Reported Temperament in Infants, Toddlers and Children from 59 Nations. Developmental Psychology,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 15, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 26, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 1, 2024
• Journal: Developmental Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0012-1649
• Electronic ISSN: 1939-0599
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2348253
• Publisher URL: https://psycnet.apa.org/PsycARTICLES/journal/dev/onlinefirst