Life at 7: Temperament

The Life at 7 Series Includes : Life at 7: Temperament | Life at 7: Peers
| Life at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9: A Longitudinal Study in Child Development

Easygoing at age seven doesn’t always translate into easygoing at 27—in the course of two decades, a laid-back kid may change into an aggressive or attention-starved adult. But temperament does offer a window into the development of coping skills. Focusing on 11 children as they cross the 7-year age threshold, this program shows how each subject’s inherent temperament shapes his or her ability to deal with the pressures of the schoolyard, family breakdowns, and other hurdles. How will perfectionist Haleema cope when a mischievous accomplice destroys her artwork? Is the rubber band of resilience being stretched too far for carefree Daniel, as conflict between his parents threatens the stability of his world? How is it that temperamental Jara’na seems to have the command of the group, and why is Declan able to reign in his difficult disposition at school, but not at home? Part of the series Life at 1, 3, 5 and 7: A Longitudinal Study in Childhood Development. (57 minutes)

Length: 57 minutes

ORDER CODE: 49444

Copyright date: ©2012

Contents

Introduction: Life at 7: Temperament (02:02)

Eleven Australian kids, age seven, have been studied all their lives for a research project. At seven, kids' temperaments are already shaping their lives.

What Temperament Is (01:30)

Temperament is the behavioral lens through which we view and react to the world. By seven, children begin to form a view of who they are.

Daniel (03:12)

Daniel, 7, is loud and rambunctious but easy-going. His mother is divorced and blind; he helps her and looks out for his baby sister.

Responses to Others' Sorrow (01:33)

Temperament and life experiences influence kids' responses. Seven-year-olds view a video of a child who has lost his mother. All recognize he is sad, but have different explanations for exactly why.

Parents Separated (02:28)

Daniel, 7, was traumatized by his now-divorced parents' quarrels and refuses to have his father involved in his life.

Haleema (01:44)

Haleema, 7, tackles life head-on and perseveres. Her parents are Muslim and worry about her experiencing hostility as she grows older.

Divorce (01:07)

Divorce shatters a child's understanding of a stable world.

Inflexibility (02:55)

Ability to stay on task greatly helps kids like Haleema in school, but the flip side is inflexibility. In an experiment, we see how she responds to having her painting sabotaged.

Haleema's Success (02:07)

Haleema, 7, looks up to her mother as an example and is a high achiever.

Ranking Values (00:57)

To determine what is important to seven-year-olds, researchers have them choose among six characteristics they would like to have.

Lack of Self-Control (02:06)

Declan, 7, is intense, energetic and verbally skilled, but upset when he doesn't get his way. Self-regulation is crucial, and volatile children have more to regulate.

Learning Self-Control (01:27)

In an experiment, Declan, 7, is shocked to find his painting vandalized. Surprisingly given his intense temperament, he quickly moves on; his school environment is helping him control himself.

Popularity (01:57)

Declan, 7, is outgoing and very popular at school. At home, his volatility is difficult for his parents to handle.

Responsibilities at Young Age (03:04)

Despite family difficulties, Daniel, 7, is busy with extracurricular activities. His mother's failing eyesight gives him major responsibilities helping her, which could increase if surgery fails.

Fear of Failure (02:12)

In an experiment, Joshua appears more anxious than most kids about failure. He isn't self-driven.

Parental Expectations (02:20)

Researchers try to understand parents' expectations of their kids. Much of life is responding to others' expectations. Immigrants often have high expectations.

Dealing with Failure (02:19)

To see how kids deal with failure, researchers set an impossible task. Joshua shows strong will to succeed and some self-motivation.

Pressure and Confidence (00:53)

Pressure to succeed motivates some children. Kids must be confident enough to risk failure.

Life Goals (01:26)

Joshua's mother wants him to be a professional, but isn't sure if he shares her values. As it turns out, he picks being rich out of six choices as the characteristic he would most like to have.

Enigmatic Jara'na (03:05)

Researchers have found Jara'na, 7, unpredictable. He is shy with adults and new people and seemed lost when he first went to school, but he does talk to peers.

Leadership (02:04)

To the surprise of researchers, Jara'na emerges as the leader of the group of seven-year-olds working given a task. His family has a history of leadership

Popular Child (02:14)

Jara'na is the youngest in his family, but shows confidence toward his siblings and shows strong leadership qualities. Other kids in the study rank him as the best in many characteristics, even though he is not outgoing.

Sophia (02:25)

Sophia, 7, is self-motivated and has a very different temperament from her older brother. Her easy-going temperament allows her to take her busy life in stride.

Impact of Father's Illness (02:16)

Sophia's father had cancer when she was born and a relapse scare when she was five. He worries that Sophia pushes herself too much, like he thinks he did.

Parents' Arguments (03:21)

Sophia's notices her parents' quarrel. A study confirms that kids are often aware of arguments even if parents try to hide it, and benefit from seeing conflict if it is resolved constructively.

Daniel (01:43)

The mother of seven-year-old Daniel has improved vision after surgery. Daniel beats an "impossible" task set up by experimenters, not boxing him into perceived rules.

Childhood Shaping Life (02:00)

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