Temperament

Temperament refers to a set of traits within an individual, which describes how the person interacts with his or her surroundings. These traits are relatively stable over time, as they can be observed from infancy through adulthood. Because temperament can be observed early in life, it is considered biologically based, though factors in the environment, such as parenting and socialization, can change the way in which temperament is expressed. Infants, children, adolescents, and adults can be placed into temperamental categories which cluster together sets of traits describing an individual. These groups can be used to predict the way in which one might respond to future situations, and allow for adjustments to an environment to better suit the individual (see entry for Goodness of Fit ).