Infant Temperament Study at University of Maryland

Overview

• Study assesses infant temperament at 9 months, focusing on emotions of anger, joy, and fear.
• Examines how temperament may persist over time.
• Long-term study includes assessments at different ages.

Experiment Details

Assessment at 9 Months

• Subjects: Infants Jack and Emily, both 9 months old.
• Temperament Testing:
  • Jack: Persistent, tries to charm researcher when frustrated by a barrier.
  • Emily: Laidback, gives up easily when faced with obstacles.

Puppet Show Experiment

• Objective: Elicit joy from infants.
• Emily: Engages with puppets and enjoys the activity.
• Jack: Frightened by puppets, does not enjoy the experience.

Fear Elicitation Tests

• Mask Tests:
  • Jack is easily frightened by scary and clown masks.
  • Emily finds clown mask amusing, is unfazed by scary mask.

EEG and Brain Activity

• Emily's EEG Test:
  • Measures brain responses to stimuli.
  • More activity in right frontal lobe, indicating a subdued personality.
  • Exuberant temperaments show exaggerated response in left frontal lobe.

Long-term Study: Testing at 24 Months

Risk Room Assessments

• Ethan (24 months):

  • Shy but warms up to strangers with toys.
  • Cautious with unpredictable situations, like playing with a robot.
  • Conservative risk-taking on stairs.
  • Seeks mother's recognition for overcoming challenges.

• Raphael (24 months):

  • Risk-taker but terrified by robot's unpredictability.

• Abby (35 months):

  • Takes charge and gives instructions.
  • Intrigued but cautious with robot, needs support.

Conclusions and Expectations

• Researchers aim to determine if early temperament predicts future behavior.
• Extreme temperaments at 4 months expected to persist at 9 and 24 months.
• Question remains if early temperament dictates lifelong emotional behavior.