Cross-Cultural Differences in Temperament: Comparing Paternal Ratings of US and Dutch Infants

Overview

Journal Eur J Dev Psychol

Date 2019 Mar 16

PMID 30873214

Citations 3

Authors

Eric Desmarais

Mirjana Majdandzic

Maria A Gartstein

David J Bridgett

Brian French

Affiliations

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Abstract

This study conducted longitudinal comparisons of US and Dutch paternal ratings of temperament, measured via the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised, at 4 months (US = 99; Dutch 127) and 12 months (US = 66; Dutch 112) of age. US fathers rated their infant higher in the broad temperament trait Surgency, and its subscales vocal reactivity, high-intensity pleasure, and activity level. US fathers also rated their infants higher in Negative Emotionality, and its subscales of sadness, distress to limitations, and fear. Dutch infants received higher ratings in falling reactivity. Though the cultures did not differ in ratings of Orienting/regulatory capacity, US infants were higher on the subscale duration of orienting, and lower in soothability. Significant culture-by-age and culture-by-gender interactions were also noted. Overall, results are largely consistent with those reported for Dutch mothers (Sung et al., 2014) and speak to considerable differences in early temperament development between cultures viewed as largely similar because of their Western/individualistic orientations.

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