Temperament Styles of Children from Samoa and the United States

Age, gender, and cross-national differences among children ages 9 through 16 in Samoa and the United States are examined on four bipolar temperament styles: extroversion-introversion, practical-imaginative, thinking-feeling, and organized-flexible. Samoan children generally prefer extroverted to introverted, practical to imaginative, thinking to feeling, and organized to flexible styles. Gender differences are found in practical-imaginative styles. Compared to males, relatively more females prefer a practical style. Age differences are found on extroversion-introversion and thinking-feeling styles. While Samoan children in all age groups generally prefer an extroverted style, an increased preference for an introverted style is seen at each older age. On the other hand, younger children display a somewhat balanced preference for thinking and feeling styles while older children generally prefer a thinking style. Cross-national differences are found in extroversion-introversion, practical-imaginative, and organized-flexible styles. In contrast to children in the U.S., those in Samoa are more likely to prefer extroverted, practical, and organized styles.