TY - JOUR
T1 - Approach temperament across cultures
T2 - Validity of the Infant Temperament Scale in MAL-ED
AU - The MAL-ED Network Investigators
AU - Pendergast, Laura L.
AU - Jones, Paul
AU - Scharf, Rebecca
AU - Rasheed, Muneera
AU - Schaefer, Barbara A.
AU - Murray-Kolb, Laura E.
AU - Rasmussen, Zeba
AU - Svensen, Erling
AU - Tofail, Fahmida
AU - Seidman, Jessica C.
AU - Caulfield, Laura E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED) is carried out as a collaborative project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the NIH, and the National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center. The authors thank the staff and participants of the MAL-ED Network for their important contributions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 International School Psychology Association.
PY - 2018/10/2
Y1 - 2018/10/2
N2 - Characteristics of temperament have been shown to predict aspects of personality and psychopathology. Approach temperament (i.e., sensitivity, reactivity, and behavioral disposition toward reward stimuli) may be a particularly salient predictor of developmental outcomes (e.g., Nigg, 2006; Shiner & Caspi, 2003). However, there is little research on approach temperament among children from low- and middle-income nations. This study examined the validity of an adapted version of the Infant Temperament Scale across eight international sites with a focus on approach temperament. Our sample included 1,933 infants from eight study sites in low- and middle-income nations: Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Peru, Pakistan, South Africa, and Tanzania. The Infant Temperament Scale was translated and administered as a structured interview to caregivers at each site. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the factor structure of the scale, and multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) modeling was used to examine invariance of scores across sites. The findings supported the validity of an approach temperament factor. Although the findings did not support the cross-cultural use of the entire Infant Temperament Scale among individuals from low- and middle-income nations in our sample, the supported approach temperament factor is a theoretically important subconstruct. Moreover, the inability to measure other aspects of temperament across cultures may have important implications for researchers interested in the nature of temperament. Implications and future directions are discussed.
AB - Characteristics of temperament have been shown to predict aspects of personality and psychopathology. Approach temperament (i.e., sensitivity, reactivity, and behavioral disposition toward reward stimuli) may be a particularly salient predictor of developmental outcomes (e.g., Nigg, 2006; Shiner & Caspi, 2003). However, there is little research on approach temperament among children from low- and middle-income nations. This study examined the validity of an adapted version of the Infant Temperament Scale across eight international sites with a focus on approach temperament. Our sample included 1,933 infants from eight study sites in low- and middle-income nations: Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Peru, Pakistan, South Africa, and Tanzania. The Infant Temperament Scale was translated and administered as a structured interview to caregivers at each site. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the factor structure of the scale, and multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) modeling was used to examine invariance of scores across sites. The findings supported the validity of an approach temperament factor. Although the findings did not support the cross-cultural use of the entire Infant Temperament Scale among individuals from low- and middle-income nations in our sample, the supported approach temperament factor is a theoretically important subconstruct. Moreover, the inability to measure other aspects of temperament across cultures may have important implications for researchers interested in the nature of temperament. Implications and future directions are discussed.
KW - MAL-ED
KW - approach
KW - culture
KW - low-income countries
KW - personality
KW - temperament
KW - validity
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U2 - 10.1080/21683603.2017.1356773
DO - 10.1080/21683603.2017.1356773
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85051950608
SN - 2168-3603
VL - 6
SP - 266
EP - 278
JO - International Journal of School and Educational Psychology
JF - International Journal of School and Educational Psychology
IS - 4
ER -