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The temperamental characteristics of Chinese babies
Insights
This study adapted Carey's Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire for Chinese infants, finding it valid but with cultural differences in temperament. Further research is needed to understand these variations.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
Background:
- Assessing infant temperament across cultures is crucial for understanding developmental variations.
- Carey's Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire is a widely used tool, but its cross-cultural applicability requires validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the usefulness of Carey's Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire in Chinese culture.
- To assess the temperamental characteristics of Chinese infants using the adapted questionnaire.
- To compare findings with American samples and explore cultural influences on temperament.
Main Methods:
- Administered the revised questionnaire to mothers of 349 infants (aged 4-8 years) in Taipei, Taiwan.
- Assessed face validity, score distribution, and ease of completion.
- Analyzed data for effects of sex and socioeconomic status, comparing results to American studies.
Main Results:
- The questionnaire demonstrated face validity and was easily understood by Chinese mothers.
- Score distributions were normal, similar to American samples.
- While general patterns aligned with American findings, notable differences emerged, potentially due to response biases or racial factors.
Conclusions:
- Carey's Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire is a useful tool for assessing Chinese infant temperament, with modifications potentially needed.
- Cultural factors, response biases, and racial differences may explain observed variations in temperament.
- Future observational studies are recommended to explore cultural nuances in temperament expression and response.
Abstract:
This paper investigates the usefulness of Carey's Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire in the Chinese culture and uses the questionnaire to assess the temperamental characteristics of Chinese babies. The revised questionnaire was administered to the mothers of 349 4--8-year-old infants in Taipei, Taiwan. The face validity of the questionnaire was supported within the different context: the distribution of scores was normal, and the mothers had no trouble in answering the questions. While the general pattern of results was similar to those found in Carey's American sample, differences were found, which may be interpreted in terms of response biases, racial differences, or a combination of these 2 factors. The data are analyzed for possible effects of sex and socioeconomic status, and these findings are in turn compared to results of American studies. Observational studies are seen as necessary in the future to understand the nature of cultural differences in temperament. Follow-up studies will examine the different ways a given temperamental characteristic may be responded to by different cultural environments.