- ACTIVITY LEVEL – refers to motor activity and how much time the child spends in quiet activities versus energetic play.
- REGULARITY – the predictability or unpredictability of hunger, sleep, elimination or bathroom use.
- APPROACH OR WITHDRAWAL – how child reacts to a new situation or thing-person, food, toy, place. In the child who approaches a new situation they will smile, move toward, reach for or talk positively about the new thing. The withdrawing child cries, turns or walks away, hides, closes his/her eyes, spits out food or refuses to participate.
- ADAPTABILITY – these are more long term responses to new situations or things. Look at the length of time it takes for the child to adjust to new situations.
- SENSORY THRESHOLD – how much noise, light, movement, temperature, etc. does it take for the child to notice a change.
- QUALITY OF MOOD – the amount of pleasant, joyful and friendly behavior versus crying, angry, unhappy behavior.
- INTENSITY OF REACTIONS – the overall energy level of typical responses either positive or negative.
- DISTRACTIBILITY – how easy it is to interrupt what a child is doing.
- PERSISTENCE AND ATTENTION SPAN – these two categories are usually related. Persistence is the child’s ability to continue with some activity even though there are obstacles or difficulties. Attention span is the general amount of time the child spends on one activity before going onto the next.
*Adapted from Know Your Child by Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas, Basic Books, 1987
Activity Level
(% of time spent) ______________________________________________________________________________________
quiet energetic
Regularity
(of biofunctions) ______________________________________________________________________________________
always sometimes never
Approach/Withdrawal
(resp. to new situations)______________________________________________________________________________________
always sometimes never
Adaptability
(long term response
to changes) ______________________________________________________________________________________
quickly moderate slowly
Sensory Threshold
(how much stimulation
to notice change) ______________________________________________________________________________________
high moderate low
Quality of Mood
(%time positive) ______________________________________________________________________________________
100 50 0
Intensity of Reaction
(level of resp. either
positive or negative) ______________________________________________________________________________________
low moderate high
Distractibility
(how easy to interrupt) ______________________________________________________________________________________
low moderate high
Persistence
(how long spent on
goal w/obstacles) ______________________________________________________________________________________
long moderate short
Attention Span
(time w/out change) ______________________________________________________________________________________
long moderate short
Hello Students,
Please see Children's Temperament Handout. This is an extra credit assignment that is worth up to 30 points. You are to select a child, between the ages of 2 – 12 years old, that you will observe engaged in activities outlined on the handout. You will measure the length of time or response and chart on the timelines provided for each activity level. You will write a report stating age of child, activity engaged in for each level amount of time spent in each activity and why you rated as you did. Also, give a summary of what you learned and why.
Due date is Sunday, March 31 in submission box on Canvas.
Onward and Forward
Sample Solution