Temperament is defined through the individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation, with biological composition and may be influenced by the environment. The psychobiological approach of Mary Rothbart has been broadly used in the study of temperament. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the published literature indexed between 2008 and 2011, on the topic of child temperament, from the birth period to school age, according to the Rothbart's approach. The databases used were PubMed, PsycINFO, Lilacs and Scielo. It was found 25 articles which were analyzed by three researchers as to: objective, sample, instruments, results and conclusions. Study samples were predominantly American children (48%) and European (32%), assessed mostly in the first three years old. Most studies (92%) assessed the child's temperament through hetero-report questionnaires, with the mothers being the main informants. The results showed on one hand the relationship between temperament and biological indicators of child (eight studies) and, on the other hand, the association between temperament and familiar context characteristics (seven studies). The relationship between temperament and personality or behavior characteristics occurred in four studies. The rest of the studies showed an association between temperament and disorders /syndromes, family/school contexts or socioeconomic status/immigration. The finding showed that the temperament in the child early stages of development, according to the model of Rothbart, presented associations with personality characteristics, behavior problems and psychopathology, which can be moderated by the interactions with the family environment.
Temperament; children; child development