Temperament and Home Environment Characteristics as Causal Factors in the Early Development of Childhood Psychopathology

Abstract

Results are reported of a 2-year prospective, longitudinal study of young children representing a general population sample. Temperament and home environment characteristics measured at age 2 and again at 3 are used to predict behavioral problems at age 3. The findings indicate that the temperament characteristics of poor adaptability and high intensity of emotional expression more powerfully predict behavior problems than do indices of the interpersonal and material home environment. Beyond the influence of temperament, marital discord operates rather selectively in boys to heighten the risk for a poor outcome. © 1987, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.