ERIC Number: ED205287
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1981-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Malay Childhood, Temperament and Individuality.
Banks, Ellen
This study of children in a Malay community assesses the cross-cultural validity of one conceptualization of temperament, identifies cultural differences in child rearing practices and beliefs, and explores parents' recognition of individual differences emerging in early childhood. The community studied consisted of three villages located about 20 miles from Kuala Lumpur. Forty child profiles were obtained through interviews with 32 families. The questionnaire for profiles of children less than two years old was based on Carey's temperament questionnaire, developed from studies by Thomas and Chess. The Thomas and Chess Parent and Teacher Questionnaire was used for the profiles of the older children. Results revealed that some of the components of temperament showed similar distributions to those reported for American samples in previous studies while other components showed striking differences between the samples. In the Malay sample, 62.5 percent of the children were classified as easy temperament types, 7.5 percent as difficult, 7.5 percent as slow to warm up and 22.5 percent as mixed types. Malay parents reported sensory thresholds as being low for 72.5 percent of the children studied. Distractability scores were high. Approach and adaptability scores seemed comparable to those in the American groups. Regularity scores were somewhat affected by the practice of feeding children when they were hungry. In conclusion, some of the cultural differences in childrearing that affect the interpretation of a temperament questionnaire are discussed. (Author/RH)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A