Do individual differences in temperament matter for Indigenous children? The structure and function of temperament in Footprints in Time.

Abstract

Studies of children from Western backgrounds have indicated that temperament plays an important role in children’s development, but little research has investigated the nature and importance of temperament for Australian Indigenous children. Drawing on data from Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LISC), this study investigated the structure of temperament in Indigenous children and how temperament, along with parenting style, is linked to later emotional and behavioural adjustment. Where possible, comparisons were made with data from Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). Findings suggested similarities in the structure, nature and function of temperament in Indigenous and non-Indigenous preschool-aged children, with both temperament and parenting style affecting later adjustment in ways that are broadly comparable with those found in studies of non-Indigenous children. However, parents of Indigenous children in LSIC responded to the temperament questionnaire rating scale differently to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous parents in LSAC and to other non-Indigenous parents in previous research. Various possible reasons for this are explored with no conclusive answers, but this finding indicates the importance of careful scrutiny of measures when used in different populations or with different modes of administration to previous use. In this particular case, we recommend a new way of scoring the temperament data.