The structure of temperament and personality in Russian children.

Abstract

Russian schoolchildren (N = 480) 8-10 years old were rated by their teachers on 60 scales drawn from 3 sources: the temperament literature, studies of child personality, and Russian educators. Analysis of 21 temperament scales produced 4 meaningful components: sociability, anger, impulsivity, and fear. Component scores formed from these scales were then analyzed in the context of the remaining scales, leading to a solution that demonstrated the usefulness of the Big Five for the organization of personality characteristics in the Russian language and culture. The high degree of relation between the temperament dimensions and 4 of the 5 personality dimensions supports the view of many developmentalists that temperament not only is a major component of personality but may be the foundation of personality.