Temperament vs Personality

### Temperament

Temperament refers to the **innate, biologically based** patterns of emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity and self-regulation that appear early in life (often observable in infancy). It is largely **genetic and hereditary**, relatively stable across the lifespan, and forms the foundational "style" or "how" of an individual's behavior.

Key characteristics:
- Present from birth or very early childhood.
- Influenced primarily by biology (e.g., nervous system, neurotransmitters, genetics).
- Consistent across situations and relatively resistant to change.
- Focuses on basic emotional and behavioral tendencies, such as activity level, rhythmicity, mood, adaptability, and intensity of reactions.

Classic examples come from models like:
- Thomas and Chess's nine dimensions (e.g., easy, difficult, slow-to-warm-up temperaments).
- Rothbart's model emphasizing reactivity (positive/negative affect) and effortful control.

In essence, temperament is the **raw emotional and behavioral wiring** you're born with.

### Personality

Personality is a broader, more comprehensive construct that describes the **enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors** that characterize an individual and distinguish them from others. It emerges over time and is shaped by both innate factors and environmental influences.

Key characteristics:
- Develops gradually through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
- Influenced by temperament **plus** life experiences, culture, socialization, learning, and environment.
- More flexible and malleable than temperament (though core traits remain fairly stable in adulthood).
- Encompasses not just emotional reactivity but also cognitive styles, values, motives, attitudes, and social behaviors.

Common frameworks include:
- The Big Five (OCEAN): Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.
- Other models like Myers-Briggs or trait theories.

Personality is the **full, integrated pattern** of who a person is, including how they think, relate to others, and pursue goals.

### Main Differences

 

Aspect	Temperament	Personality
Origin	Primarily biological/genetic	Biological + environmental/experiential
Onset	From birth/infancy	Develops over time (fully matures in adulthood)
Stability	Highly stable across life	Relatively stable but more changeable
Scope	Narrow: basic emotional/behavioral style	Broad: includes cognition, values, social patterns
Changeability	Difficult to change (core wiring)	Can evolve with experiences, therapy, etc.
Relationship	Forms the core foundation of personality	Builds upon temperament + learned elements

### How They Relate

Temperament is often seen as the **biological substrate** or "building block" of personality. For example:
- A highly reactive temperament (e.g., intense negative emotions) may predispose someone to higher Neuroticism in the Big Five personality model.
- However, environment can moderate this: supportive parenting might help a difficult-tempered child develop better self-regulation, leading to a more adaptive personality.

In short, temperament is the **inborn emotional tone**, while personality is the **full symphony** that develops from that tone plus life's experiences. Psychologists generally agree that temperament contributes significantly to personality but does not fully determine it.