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 You might sometimes wonder if it’s nature or nurture driving the differences between people. For example, why are some of us extroverts and others introverts? Why are some children risk-takers while others are more inhibited? Well, it turns out both nature and nurture are important! The nature part of the equation is sometimes overlooked, but our biological temperament plays an important role in the kind of person we become. In this episode, Debbie and Yael discuss Childhood Temperament, the topic of Debbie’s dissertation research at Harvard. They delve into some longitudinal research on the temperamental underpinnings of shyness and behavioral inhibition. They also discuss the clinical implications of individual differences in emotional reactivity, and the personality constructs of introversion and extroversion.

Listen up to learn about:* How “high-reactive” infants differ from “low-reactive” infants* How early reactivity correlates with behavioral inhibition and shyness later in childhood* Why Attachment research may leave out some important information* The importance of “goodness of fit” between parents and their children* Whether you a “carpenter” or a “gardener” as a parent parent* What introversion and extroversion really means and how to appreciate your personality styleRESOURCES:The APA’s list of Eminent Psychologists of the 20th CenturyBrief Video Showing Kagan’s Temperament Study with InfantsBooks by Kagan on Temperament:* Galen’s Prophecy: Temperament in Human Nature by Jerome Kagan* The Long Shadow of Temperament by Jerome Kagan and Nancy SnidmanThe Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison GopnikQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain__________________________Thank you for joining us on this episode of Psychologists Off The Clock. We appreciate your feedback. Please take a moment to leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts. It helps us spread the word to more folks like you!Click Here to Subscribe via Apple PodcastsClick here to Subscribe via Google PodcastsClick Here to Subscribe via StitcherClick Here to Subscribe via SpotifyTranscript of Episode:TemperamentDebbie Sorensen: [00:00:00] The way that Kagan describes it as that temperament sort of constrains who we'll become later. So it's not totally predictive, but it maybe puts a little bit of a constraint on it, right? Like the Clint Eastwood type is probably not going to end up being the really introverted socially phobic person and vice versa. You know, someone who is extremely high, reactive and inhibited is pretty unlikely to, to totally swing the other direction. Diana Hill: [00:00:26] . We are three clinical psychologists committed to cutting edge integrated and evidence based strategies for living wel...