Types of temperament in babies: easy, difficult and slow

Many experts claim that personality is made up of two elements: temperament and character. While character develops from environmental influences, temperament, biological in nature, accompanies us from the beginning of life and serves as a basis for the personality traits that will be consolidated with the weather.

In this article we will describe the three main types of temperament in babies: easy, difficult and slow reacting. Although a large number of children cannot be clearly classified into any of them, these categories can be very helpful in conceptualizing basic temperamental differences in the early stages of lifetime.

• Related article: "Differences between personality, temperament and character"

What is temperament?

Temperament is the biological component of personality. It is determined mainly by genetic inheritance, which makes it quite stable, although the factors Environmental conditions can influence the manifestations of temperament, both in early development and throughout the lifetime.

Different aspects of biology and physiology determine the temperament of each individual. The role of neurotransmitters of the nervous system and hormones of the endocrine system is especially relevant, as well as the level of brain activation and reactivity to stimulation.

It is believed that the temperament of babies develops as they feel emotions, whose presentation patterns are configuring a determined psychophysiological disposition. The attitude of the parents and their reactions to the needs of the child have a relevant weight in the configuration of temperament.

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Types of temperament in babies

In the 1950s Alexander Thoma and Stella Chess began research on the development of behavior and personality that would last more than 30 years, the New York Longitudinal Study. From this study, three types of temperament have been described in babies: easy, difficult and slow reacting (or "children difficult to enthuse").

Let's see what are the characteristics of each of these types. It is important to bear in mind that 35% of the children analyzed could not be strictly classified into any of them, but rather showed characteristics of more than one of the types.

1. Easy kids

"Easy" children are those who present moderate intensity moods and with a tendency to good humor. Their biological rhythms are stable, so it is easy for them to adopt regular hourly and eating patterns. They also accept frustrating experiences more than children of other temperaments.

In addition, children of easy temperament show an open disposition to new experiences and situations: they smile in unfamiliar people, they tolerate new foods satisfactorily and adapt well to changes in routines.

According to the New York Longitudinal Study 40% of babies can be classified in the category of easy temperament. This makes it the most prevalent early temperamental style of the three.

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2. Difficult kids

Thoma and Chess classified as "difficult" children with irregular biological rhythms, emotional responses of high intensity and tendency to feel and express negative emotions, for example in the form of irritability or crying; however, they also tend to show positive emotions more markedly.

These babies have more difficulty than easy-tempered babies in maintaining regular sleep and feeding schedules and patterns. They have a harder time adapting to foods and new situations and routines, and they trust people they don't know less.

Children with difficult temperaments react less to novel stimulation and changes. Also tend to respond with crying and tantrumsto frustration of your desires and impulses.

Only about 10% of babies can be classified in the category of difficult temperament; therefore, this type of temperament is less common than the easy one and the slow-reacting one.

3. Slow reacting children

The authors of the New York Longitudinal Study also called the members of this group "difficult children to enthuse about." These represented 15% of the total sample, so that the slow temperament is somewhat more frequent than the difficult one, although it is still much less common than the easy one.

In a synthetic way we can say that slow reacting babies show many characteristics of the easy temperament, although they are more indifferent than these and take longer to adapt to changes, as the names given to this temperament suggest.

Slow Reacting Babies express emotions less intense than those of easy temperament, whether they are negative or positive. They tend to be more reticent about new people, situations and foods than easy children, although they progressively adapt well, especially if they are not pressured.

The biological rhythms of slow children are less regular than the easy ones, which makes it more difficult for them to acquire new patterns and habits, although less than for babies with difficult temperaments.

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