THE FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE BUSS AND PLOMIN EAS TEMPERAMENT SURVEY (PARENTAL RATINGS) IN A DUTCH SAMPLE OF ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL-CHILDREN

The psychometric properties of the Buss and Plomin (1984) EAS Temperam ent Survey for Children (Parental Ratings) were examined in a sample o f Dutch children between 4 and 13 years of age. Ratings were obtained from 230 mothers and 172 fathers. The findings presented here provide the lacking cross-validation of the original analyses by Rowe and Plom in (1977): Emotionality, activity, and shyness were independent temper aments, regardless of age and gender. The factorial position of the ye t experimental Sociability scale is more ambiguous: Sociability was si gnificantly related to both shyness and activity but was more strongly associated with shyness in the youngest age cohort and most strongly with activity in the oldest cohort. This age trend, combined with a po sitive association with activity, supports the premise that sociabilit y cannot be equated to nonshyness and justifies the inclusion of a sep arate Sociability scale in the EAS. All four EAS scales are reliable i n terms of internal consistency and interrater agreement, but one modi fication of the Sociability scale is needed.