Personality development and temperament

This paper identifies a number of problems that emerge in our attempts to trace a developmental linkage between early-appearing individual differences in temperament and later personality. It is suggested that the major problem is that of inadequate theory, from which it follows that there will be problems of definition and methodology. Attention is also drawn to difficulties associated with the concept of 'development'. Certain early-appearing individual difference are identified, for which there is accumulating evidence of a genetic or constitutional basis. Further, these appear to show some stability and are accorded an important role in a number of theories, especially that of Eysenck. It is suggested that his approach, despite its many limitations, is worth further exploration.