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Research Article

Observed Personality in Childhood: Psychometric and Behavioural Genetic Evidence of Two Broad Personality Factors

  1. Zhe Wang1,
  2. Nan Chen1,
  3. Stephen A. Petrill2,
  4. Kirby Deater-Deckard1,*

Article first published online: 28 SEP 2012

DOI: 10.1002/per.1886

Issue

European Journal of Personality

European Journal of Personality

Volume 27, Issue 1, pages 96–105, January/February 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Wang, Z., Chen, N., Petrill, S. A. and Deater-Deckard, K. (2013), Observed Personality in Childhood: Psychometric and Behavioural Genetic Evidence of Two Broad Personality Factors. Eur. J. Pers., 27: 96–105. doi: 10.1002/per.1886

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Human Development and Family Science, Ohio State University, OH, USA

* Correspondence to: Kirby Deater-Deckard, Department of Psychology, 109 Williams Hall (0436), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
E-mail: kirbydd@vt.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 22 JAN 2013
  2. Article first published online: 28 SEP 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 20 JUN 2012
  4. Manuscript Revised: 26 APR 2012
  5. Manuscript Received: 7 OCT 2011

Funded by

  • Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
  • Kathryn Rudolph Memorial Research Fund of the University of Oregon
  • National Science Foundation. Grant Numbers: BCS-9907860, BCS-9907811, BCS-0196511
  • NICHD. Grant Number: HD38075
  • NICHD/OSERS. Grant Number: HD46167

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Keywords:

  • broad personality factor;
  • observation;
  • childhood;
  • psychometric;
  • behavioural genetics

Abstract

We examined broad dimensions of children's personalities (total n = 1056; age = 3.5 to 12 years) based on observers' perceptions following a few hours of structured interaction. Siblings' behaviours during a 2-hour cognitive assessment in the home were rated separately by two different observers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses clearly revealed a two-factor solution in three different samples. There was correspondence between parent-rated temperament and observer-rated factors. Cross-sectional analyses indicated lower Plasticity among older children and higher Stability among older children. Sex differences were negligible. Plasticity and Stability were correlated in the .2 to .3 range. Most of the sibling similarity in the Plasticity was due to additive genetic influences, whereas most sibling similarity in Stability was attributable to shared environmental influences. The findings implicate a biometric factor structure to childhood personality that fits well with emerging biosocial theories of personality development. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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