temperamentu

Temperamentu is a concept referring to the inborn tendencies that influence how people think, feel, and behave. It reflects stable differences in arousal, reactivity, and self-regulation that are evident from early life and persist across contexts, though they can be influenced by experience and environment.

Historically, temperaments were described as four types—sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic—originating with ancient Greek medical theories of body humors and later elaborated by Galen. The framework aimed to explain consistent patterns of mood and energy and how individuals respond to stress, social interaction, and daily routines.

In contemporary psychology, temperament is distinguished from personality: temperament denotes inborn, biologically rooted tendencies, while personality encompasses a broader constellation of traits and learned behaviors. Modern research views temperament as involving aspects such as emotional reactivity, self-regulation, and sensitivity to stimulation, and it interacts with environmental factors to shape development.

Several theoretical approaches have expanded the concept. Infant temperament research (Thomas and Chess; easy, difficult, slow-to-warm-up) describes patterns that can predict later behavior. Kagan highlighted behavioral inhibition, a dimension of temperament related to approach–withdrawal in new situations. Biologically oriented models link temperament to neural and physiological systems, including arousal and the BIS/BAS frameworks. In trait theory, temperament overlaps with dimensions of the Big Five—particularly extraversion and neuroticism—though it remains a distinct construct in many domains.

Applications of temperament knowledge include parenting, education, and clinical practice, helping to adapt strategies to individual differences and support healthy development.