THE STRUCTURE OF TEMPERAMENT FROM AGE 3 TO 7 YEARS - AGE, SEX, AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES

The structure of temperament over the ages of 3 to 7 years was investi gated through factor analyses of maternal ratings on the Childhood Tem perament Questionnaire of a large sample of children (N = 1,366). Four strong factors and two weaker ones emerged, which were generally cons istent across the three age periods. Separate analyses by sex revealed differences in temperament structure between boys and girls on only o ne factor. In terms of the expression of temperament boys tended to ha ve more negative ratings on several factors. Age and socioeconomic sta tus differences were also observed, although they were quantitatively small. The significance of these data for the conceptualization of tem perament, and linkages with recent analyses of other temperament quest ionnaires, were explored.