RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INFANT TEMPERAMENT, DEMOGRAPHIC-VARIABLES, AND FAMILY DYNAMICS OF CHILD-REARING FAMILIES

Relationships between infant temperament, demographic variables, and f amily dynamics of child-rearing families were investigated in this stu dy, The revised Infant Temperament questionnaire (RITQ), the Family Dy namics questionnaire (FDQ) and the Family Dynamics Measure (FDM) were sent to 118 families who had participated in the first stage of the st udy as child-bearing families, About 8 months after childbirth 96 moth ers and 95 fathers completed the questionnaires. The characteristics o f infant temperament and demographic variables related to the variance of dimensions of family dynamics, Characteristics of the temperamenta lly easy baby related to more positive family dynamics perceived by ch ild-rearing parents, Fathers rearing their first child reported that t heir families functioned better than fathers with their second infant. In child health clinics families rearing their second child should al so be supported, especially families with arhythmic and negative mood infants.