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The middle childhood temperament questionnaire
Insights
The Middle Childhood Temperament Questionnaire assesses temperament traits in children aged 8-12 years. This parent-report scale offers reliable temperament data for children, complementing earlier developmental stages.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Temperament is a crucial aspect of child development.
- Previous scales covered infancy and toddlerhood, leaving a gap for middle childhood.
- Objective temperament data is vital for understanding children's behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Middle Childhood Temperament Questionnaire (MCTQ).
- To assess temperament traits in children aged 8 to 12 years.
- To provide a standardized tool for temperament assessment in middle childhood.
Main Methods:
- The Middle Childhood Temperament Questionnaire (MCTQ) is a 99-item parent questionnaire.
- It assesses nine temperament characteristics, including predictability instead of biological rhythmicity.
- Standardized on 506 children from pediatric and school settings.
Main Results:
- The MCTQ demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (0.81) and retest reliability (0.88).
- The scale provides reliable temperament data for children aged 8-12 years.
- It completes a series of temperament assessment scales from infancy to middle childhood.
Conclusions:
- The MCTQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing temperament in middle childhood.
- This questionnaire aids in gathering objective and organized temperament data for children up to 12 years.
- It facilitates a comprehensive understanding of temperament across early developmental stages.
Abstract:
The Middle Childhood Temperament Questionnaire is a 99-item parent questionnaire for assessing the New York Longitudinal Study temperament traits in 8- to 12-year-old children. The nine characteristics measured are the same except that biological rhythmicity has been replaced by predictability. The scale was standardized on 506 children in a pediatric and a school district. Internal consistency and retest reliability are satisfactory, respectively 0.81 and 0.88 for median category values. Together with the Infant Temperament Questionnaire, the Toddler Temperament Scale, and the Behavioral Style Questionnaire this completes a series of scales for gathering more objective and organized temperament data for 4 months to 12 years.