The Revision and Application of the Revision of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire

Objective:To study an assessment instrument of the early adolescent's temperament and the temperament characteristics in Shanghai Chinese youth.Methods: The Revision of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire(EATQ-R) was adopted and modified into Chinese version.1761 11-15-year old adolescent's data were analyzed.Results:(1)The test-retest reliability of the Chinese version was from 0.51 to 0.70.Constructive validity was scrutinized with exploratory factors analysis,and five factors were reconstructed from the original dimensions(effortful control,affability,negative affect,surgency and shyness).Their inner coherence Cronbach alpha was from 0.61 to 0.78,with the average of 0.70.Aggression and depression mood were additional behavior factors.Their test-retest reliability respectively were 0.62 and 0.72(r=0.62,0.72),and Cronbach α=0.57,0.46.The five factors in Chinese youth were different from those in American youth.(2) Comparison of temperament characteristics and behavior tendencies by sex showed the girls were significantly higher than boys in terms of effortful control,affability,and negative mood and shyness;girls were lower on surgency and aggression(e g.effortful control 48.8±7.2/46.5±7.3),surgency 26.3±5.9/28.0±5.6,P0.001).(3)There were significantly age differences on temperament factors of effortful control,affability,negative mood and shyness(F=7.92～16.77,P0.01),but the correlation of all these factors with age was on a low level(0.09～0.19).Although the change amplitude of temperament factors with age was different between boys and girls,the tendencies were similar.The effortful control decreased with age.Affability was at the lowest level at thirteen year's old and increased with age later.Negative emotion increased with age.With an increasing tendency of shyness with age,there was a peak at fifteen years old.There was no significant age difference on Surgency.(4) Depression mood was significantly higher with age increasing in girls(F=7.11,P0.001).The highest level of depression was at age fifteen.Conclusions: The reliability of Chinese version of EATQ-R is an acceptable tool that can be used in the assessment of Chinese adolescent's temperament characteristics.There are sex and age differences on the early adolescent's temperament.The assessment of adolescent temperament can help us understand their behavioral styles and the occurring of psychological problems and provide suitable guidance.