How the Concept of Temperament Applies to Childhood and Adulthood

Insight 

In the week’s lecture, I learned about temperament. It illustrates the consistent differences in human behavior, biologically based and independent of values, attitudes, and learning. Personality can be associated with changing features of expression such as emotionality, energetic aspects, sensitivity to certain reinforcers, and plasticity. Some temperament traits are specific in behavior patterns in childhood and adulthood. Such characters include sociability, impulsivity, neuroticism, and others. 

Resource 

Ekstrand (2012) discusses the four human temperaments. He indicates that the thoughts, feelings, and acts of people are hard to explain but have reasons. The reasons are associated with the character or personality of individuals. The study of temperament can be traced to Hippocrates, a Greek physician in 460-370 BC. Hippocrates aimed to explain why people act the way they do, and his work has been applied as a dynamic diagnosis for psychiatry and psychology. Hippocrates stated that temperaments are inherited behavioral tendencies passed through the DNA. The information is essential in understanding the behavioral disposition of individuals. However, the surrounding is also responsible for shaping personality. There are two main types of personalities, introverted and extroverted. The four temperaments are identified as sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic. Extroverted personalities are choleric and sanguine. Introverted personalities are phlegmatic and melancholy individuals 

Application 

The concept of temperament can be used in understanding the personalities of employees in a workplace, thus helping in forming strong teams. Each group should have both introverts and extroverts since they have varying personalities, making it easy to agree on common things since competition among team members is reduced. Duties in the group will be shared depending on individual temperament. A sanguine is a talker; choleric is the doer, phlegmatic the watcher and melancholic, the thinker (Ekstrand, 2012). When these characters are combined, each person will have duties best suited to their temperament. It will promote group work, thus completing work on time and successfully. 

Reference 

Ekstrand, D. W. (2012). The Four Human Temperaments. Retrieved November 2, 2019, from http://www.thetransformedsoul.com/additional-studies/miscellaneous-studies/the-four-human-temperaments.