Estudos comparando temperamento, caráter e impulsividade entre portadores de transtorno afetivo bipolar eutímicos e controles saudáveis têm mostrado escores mais elevados de busca de novidade, esquiva ao dano, autotranscendência e impulsividade, e escores mais baixos de autodirecionamento e cooperatividade entre os portadores de transtorno bipolar. Entretanto, não está claro se esses achados são resultado de um efeito cicatriz dos episódios ou representam marcadores de vulnerabilidade ao transtorno. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar traços de personalidade como prováveis marcadores de vulnerabilidade ao transtorno afetivo bipolar por meio da comparação de escores de temperamento, caráter e impulsividade entre portadores de transtorno afetivo bipolar, seus irmãos sem este transtorno e controles saudáveis. Foram avaliados 67 portadores eutímicos de transtorno afetivo bipolar tipo I, 67 irmãos e 70 controles saudáveis utilizando-se o Inventário de Temperamento e Caráter e a Escala de Impulsividade de Barratt. Foram considerados eutímicos os portadores de transtorno afetivo bipolar que apresentavam escores 7 na Escala de Avaliação de Depressão de Hamilton e na Escala de Avaliação de Mania de Young. As comparações das médias dos escores de impulsividade e das dimensões de temperamento e caráter entre os três grupos foram realizadas por meio de análise de variância. Testes post-hoc de Games-Howell ou Tukey (em função da homogeneidade de variância das variáveis dependentes) foram utilizados para análises posteriores par a par. O nível de significância alfa foi estabelecido em 5%. O resultados mostraram que portadores de transtorno afetivo bipolar eutímicos apresentaram, em relação aos controles saudáveis, escores significativamente mais elevados de busca de novidade, esquiva ao dano e autotranscendência, bem como de impulsividade motora, atencional e de não planejamento, e escores significativamente mais baixos de autodirecionamento e cooperatividade. Os irmãos não afetados por transtorno afetivo bipolar apresentaram, em relação aos controles saudáveis, escores significativamente mais elevados de esquiva ao dano e impulsividade motora, e escores significativamente mais baixos de autodirecionamento. O subgrupo de 32 irmãos sem qualquer diagnóstico psiquiátrico apresentou escores significativamente mais baixos de esquiva ao dano em relação aos controles. Esses resultados sugerem que escores elevados de esquiva ao dano e impulsividade motora e escores baixos de autodirecionamento podem representar marcadores de vulnerabilidade ao transtorno afetivo bipolar, sendo que a dimensão esquiva ao dano destaca-se por ter permanecido elevada mesmo entre os irmãos sem qualquer transtorno psiquiátrico. Esses dados podem contribuir para o avanço no conhecimento sobre os mecanismos neurobiológicos subjacentes ao transtorno afetivo bipolar, bem como para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de tratamento e prevenção desse transtorno / Recent studies have shown that euthymic patients with bipolar disorder present higher scores on impulsivity, novelty seeking, harm avoidance and selftranscendence and lower scores on self-directedness and cooperativeness than healthy controls. However it is unclear whether specific personality traits are vulnerability markers for bipolar disorder or represent a scarring effect of the affective episodes. The aim of this study was to compare temperament, character and impulsivity among patients with bipolar disorder, their unaffected siblings and healthy controls. We assessed 67 euthymic outpatients with bipolar disorder type I, 67 full siblings and 70 healthy controls using the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Patients were euthymic if they present a Hamilton depression rating scale score and a Young mania rating scale score less than 8. Analysis of variance was used to compare mean scores of temperament, character and impulsivity among the three groups, and the Games- Howell test and the Tukey test were used as post-hoc tests for pairwise comparisons. The level of significance was set at 5%. Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder showed higher scores on impulsivity, novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and selftranscendence, and lower scores on self-directedness and cooperativeness than healthy controls. Their siblings without bipolar disorder diagnosis showed higher scores on harm avoidance and motor impulsivity and lower scores on selfdirectedness than healthy controls. A subset of 32 siblings who never have developed any psychiatric disorder during lifetime showed higher harm avoidance scores than healthy controls. Our results suggest that higher scores on harm avoidance and motor impulsivity, and lower scores no self-directedness may represent vulnerability markers for bipolar disorder. The harm avoidance dimension stands out since it remained higher even among siblings without any axis I psychiatric diagnosis. These data may contribute to further improve preventive strategies in subjects at high risk for bipolar disorder

The study of cat personality and behaviour can help minimize potential problems in the relationship between cats and their tutors and decrease relinquishment or maltreatment. Personality in animals is a promising area dedicated to studying characteristics of individuals that describe and account for temporally stable patterns of affection, cognition and behaviour traits. In general, people adopt cats according to their appearance, age or sex. Personality assessments can promote successful adoptions by identifying ideal animals for potential tutors. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has implemented a program called Meet Your Match® (MYM) which assesses the personality of shelter cats and the life style of adopters. With a better match between cat and tutor, the rate of animals being returned to shelters tend to decrease and cats welfare and adaptation in new homes tend to improve. To evaluate physiological stress and personality dimension, faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) levels were measured and a modified MYM protocol was applied in two localities: a shelter and the tutors home. Our main goals were: 1) verifying the validity of personality dimensions used in a modified MYM assessment in a Brazilian cat shelter sample through an exploratory study of the psychometric properties of the protocol, as well as an exploratory factor and a cluster analysis; 2) verifying the correlation between personality and faecal cortisol levels; 3) checking if MYM assessment is consistent through change of localities; and 4) finding out how moving from the shelter to the tutors home affects faecal cortisol metabolites levels. We found evidence of validity of the modified MYM assessment based on internal structure to personality dimensions in this sample, although it presented a factorial structure that differs from the original assessment. No correlation was found between personality dimensions and FCM levels, corroborating the literature. There was a slight decrease of FCM levels in homes, but most subjects maintained their FCM levels, showing that cats can cope with stress in both environments the shelters and the tutors home. MYM personality assessment was consistent throughout the change of localities, which indicates that it is a good instrument to assess cat personality / O estudo sobre comportamento e personalidade dos gatos pode ajudar a minimizar possíveis problemas na relação entre gatos e seus tutores e diminuir o abandono e os maus tratos. A personalidade em animais é uma área promissora, que estuda características dos indivíduos que descrevem e representam padrões temporais estáveis de afeto, cognição e comportamento. Em geral, as pessoas adotam um gato de acordo com a aparência, idade ou sexo do animal. As avaliações de personalidade podem promover adoções bem-sucedidas, identificando animais ideais para potenciais tutores. A American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) implementou um programa chamado Meet Your Match® (MYM), que avalia a personalidade dos gatos e o estilo de vida de futuros tutores. Com uma melhor combinação entre gato e tutor, a taxa de devolução desses animais para abrigos pode diminuir e o bem-estar e a adaptação em novas residências tendem a melhorar. Para avaliar o estresse fisiológico e as dimensões da personalidade, metabólitos fecais de cortisol (MFC) foram medidos e a avaliação MYM foi aplicada em duas localidades: um abrigo e a residência do tutor. Nossos principais objetivos foram: 1) verificar a validade das dimensões de personalidade utilizadas na avaliação do MYM em uma amostra de abrigo brasileiro, por meio de um estudo exploratório das propriedades psicométricas do protocolo, uma análise de fator exploratório e uma análise de cluster; 2) verificar a correlação entre os tipos de personalidade e o cortisol fecal; 3) verificar se a avaliação do MYM foi consistente após mudança de localidades (abrigo e casa); e 4) verificar como a mudança do abrigo para a casa do tutor afeta os níveis de cortisol fecal. Encontramos evidências de validade da avaliação MYM modificada, baseadas na estrutura interna das dimensões da personalidade nesta amostra, embora a estrutura fatorial tenha sido diferente da avaliação original. Não foi encontrada correlação entre as dimensões de personalidade e os níveis de MFC, corroborando a literatura. Houve uma discreta diminuição dos níveis de MFC nas casas, mas a maioria dos indivíduos manteve seus níveis de MFC, mostrando que os gatos lidam bem com o estresse nos dois ambientes o abrigo e a casa do tutor. A avaliação de personalidade do MYM foi consistente na mudança de localidades, o que indica que ela é um bom instrumento para avaliar a personalidade de gatos

Diversos estudos têm demonstrado associação entre o temperamento e os níveis de ansiedade pré-operatória em crianças. Entretanto, a natureza desta associação não é consenso. Como a maioria desses estudos utilizou o questionário EASI (emocionalidade, atividade, sociabilidade e impulsividade) como instrumento para mensurar o temperamento, o presente estudo examina em profundidade as propriedades psicométricas do mesmo utilizando a análise de Rasch, para determinar se o instrumento mede de forma adequada o temperamento de crianças. Além disso, outras análises são aplicadas para explorar novas estruturas fatoriais do instrumento original. A habilidade da nova versão do EASI para discriminar diferentes níveis de ansiedade no período préoperatório imediato em crianças também foi investigada. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, com amostra de conveniência, onde foram incluídas crianças entre dois e seis anos agendadas para procedimentos cirúrgicos eletivos ambulatoriais. Os cuidadores das crianças completaram um formulário sócio-demográfico, o questionário EASI e uma Escala Análogo-Visual (EAV) de 100mm. Também, a Escala de Ansiedade Pré-Operatória de Yale (mYPAS) foi aplicada imediatamente antes da administração da medicação préanestésica, pelo anestesista pediátrico. Uma vez que o escore médio de compreensão das questões, medido pela EAV, foi superior a 80mm, considerou-se que o nível de compreensão da versão traduzida do EASI foi adequado. O questionário foi respondido por 110 cuidadores. Os resultados da análise de Rasch evidenciaram que as quatro subescalas da estrutura original apresentam desempenho inadequado (especialmente baixo índice de classificação correta dos aspectos do temperamento). A análise de componentes principais gerou uma solução com dois fatores. O Fator 1 é composto de itens de atividade e impulsividade, e o Fator 2 é predominantemente composto por itens das sub-escalas de sociabilidade e atividade. As sub-escalas originais do EASI não se correlacionaram com os escores da mYPAS, à exceção da sociabilidade (r=-0,449; P <0,001). O Fator 1 apresentou correlação positiva (r=0,239; P =0,0034) com a mYPAS, enquanto o Fator 2 apresentou correlação negativa (r=-0,404, P <0,0001). A análise de Rasch indicou que o instrumento original teve poder de discriminação insuficiente. Dentre os dois fatores propostos, os doze itens que compõem o Fator 1 apresentam perfil estatístico adequado, com alto poder de discriminação e relevância clínica. O Fator 2 não tem poder de discriminação adequado no seu formato atual, e ainda necessita de ajustes. / Some studies have shown correlation between temperament and preoperative anxiety levels in children. However, the nature of the association is not consensual. As most of these studies have used the EASI (emotionality, activity, sociability and impulsivity) questionnaire as an instrument to assess temperament, the present study examines the psychometric properties of this questionnaire in depth using the Rasch analysis to determine whether it is suitable for measuring children’s temperament. In addition, further analyses are carried out to explore potentially new factorial structures of the original instrument. The ability to discriminate between different levels of a child’s anxiety in the immediate preoperative period was also examined. It is a cross-sectional study, with a convenience sample of children aged between 2 and 6 years, to be submitted to outpatient elective surgeries. Children’s caregivers completed a socio-demographic form, the EASI questionnaire and a 0-100mm Analogue-Visual Scale (VAS). In addition, the Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) was performed immediately prior to the administration of pre-anesthetic medication by the pediatric anesthetist. As the mean comprehension level of the EASI-questions on VAS score was above 80mm, the translation of EASI was considered adequate. The questionnaire was answered by 110 caregivers. Results from Rasch analysis showed that the four subscales have inadequate perfomance (especially low person separation indices). Principal component analysis yielded a two-factor solution. Factor 1 is composed of activity and impulsivity items, and factor 2 is predominantly composed of items from the sociability and activity subscales. The original EASI subscales did not correlate with m-YPAS scores, with exception of sociability (r=-0.449; P <0.001). Factor 1 had a positive correlation (r=0.239; P=0.0034) with m-YPAS, while factor 2 showed a negative correlation (r=-0.404, P <0.0001). Rasch analysis indicated that the original EASI instrument has insufficient separation power. The twelve items that compose Factor 1 show adequate fit statistics, high separation power, and clinical meaning. Factor 2 is not sufficiently powerful in its current state, and still requires refinements.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivos um estudo de validade e a proposta de uma versão adaptada para o Português do Inventário de Temperamento e Caráter, desenvolvido por Cloninger para crianças (JTCI). Este instrumento avalia a personalidade da criança sob o ponto de vista do modelo dimensional de Cloninger, que propõe quatro dimensões para temperamento (busca de novidades, evitação de danos, dependência de recompensa e persistência) e três dimensões para caráter (auto-diretividade, cooperatividade e auto-transcendência). O JTCI é um instrumento de auto-preenchimento e que contém 128 perguntas, adaptadas à faixa etária de 9 a 13 anos. População estudada: crianças entre 9 e 13 anos (n = 188), regularmente matriculadas no ensino fundamental dos setores público e privado de ensino do Estado de São Paulo. Análise dos dados: Análise da estrutura interna do teste, através da verificação da consistência interna dos traços de temperamento e de caráter com as questões que compõem o instrumento, através do cálculo do coeficiente Alpha de Cronbach e da análise fatorial (pacote estatístico SPSS 12.0 for Windows). Resultados: após a análise estatística, verificou-se que muitos itens apresentavam baixas correlações com suas variáveis, o que interferia no poder do teste. A retirada de 36 itens que apresentavam baixa correlação com suas respectivas variáveis possibilitou que novos valores de correlação fossem obtidos, aumentando-se assim a consistência interna dos domínios avaliados e confirmando o poder do teste. Conclusão: uma versão válida e adaptada para o Português é proposta, com 92 itens / The current work focuses on a validity study and the proposal for an adapted version to Portuguese of the Junior Character and Temperament Inventory, developed by Cloninger for children. This instrument evaluates the childs personality through Clonigers dimensional model, which proposes four temperament dimensions (novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence and persistence) and three character dimensions (self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence). The Inventory is a self-report document containing 128 questions adapted to children aged 9-13 years. Sample: children aged 9-13 years (n=188), regularly enrolled in the State of São Paulos private and public primary and secondary schools. Data analysis: Tests internal structure analysis, through internal consistency check of temperament and character traits using the questions within the document by the Cronbach alphas and the factorial analysis (statistical analysis software SPSS 12.0 for Windows). Results: After statistical analysis, it was verified that several items showed low correlations with their respective variables, which interfered with the tests power. After removing 36 items which presented low correlation with their variables, new correlation values were obtained, enhancing the internal consistency of evaluated domains and confirming the tests power. Conclusion: a valid and adapted version to Portuguese is proposed, with 92 items

Foi realizado estudo para comprovar hipótese de que a suplementação dietética com cromo antes, durante e após a desmama pudesse diminuir o estresse causado por este processo. Para tal, foram utilizados 150 bezerros mestiços, machos e fêmeas, entre cinco e seis meses de idade. Esses foram divididos em dois grupos iguais de 75 animais, sendo que um deles recebeu e outro não suplementação com 0,9 mg de carboaminofosfoquelato de cromo/ 100 kg PV, misturado a um sal proteinado para ser consumido na base de 0,1% do PV via creep feeding, no decorrer de 60 dias antes e 60 dias após a desmama forçada. Foram coletadas amostras sanguíneas e urinárias no M0 (60 dias antes da desmama), M1 (desmama), M2 (48 horas após a desmama) e M3 (60 dias após a desmama) para determinação de cortisol, glicose, proteína total e albumina e cromo sérico e cromo e creatinina na urina. No M2 avaliou-se o temperamento dos animais pelo teste do escore composto na balança, com a seguinte escala: 1 (calmo) a 5 (muito estressado), classificando os escores 1 e 2 como mansos e 3 a 5 como bravos. O ganho acumulado de peso foi superior nos bezerros suplementados com cromo antes da desmama e no decorrer de todo o experimento. A suplementação com cromo promoveu uma redução do estresse, diminuindo também os teores de cortisol e de proteína séricos durante a desmama. O estresse da desmama provocou aumento da excreção de cromo pela urina, sendo esta mais destacada nos animais bravios com altos teores de cortisol. O desconforto da desmama provocou nos animais bravios aumento dos teores de cortisol, glicose, proteína total e diminuição no ganho de peso acumulado após a desmama. / In order to study the influence of dietary chromium to mitigate the stress of weaning, 150 crossbred six-month beef male and female calves were used. These calves were distributed into two equal groups and both received a corn, soybean meal, mineral supplement on a 0.1% BW daily basis, in a creep feeding, throughout the 60 d before and 60 d after the weaning. It was included in this diet for the supplemented group 0.9 mg/100 kg BW of organic chromium. Body weight was measured and samples were collected at different times (day 0, weaning, 48 h after weaning (48W) and at the end of the experiment) to measure serum cortisol, glucose, total protein and albumin, chromium, and urinary chromium and creatinine. At 48 W the temperament of the calves was assessed by the scale composite score to classify them as calm or stressed calves. The chromium supplementation increased significantly the weight gain before weaning and throughout the experiment; decreased the number of stressed calves, and the serum levels of cortisol and total protein at W48. The weaning stress caused an increased urinary excretion of chromium, being highest in the stressed calves with high levels of cortisol. The detrimental effects of weaning triggered in the most stressed calves higher levels of serum cortisol, glucose, and total protein, as well as decreased their weight gain.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate temperament-language relationships among school-age children and across a wider variety of SES. Head Start, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classes of 10 elementary schools located in rural Appalachia were sent information about the study and 35 children were consented to participate. Parents completed a short demographic survey and the Child Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form (CBQ-VSF). Children were administered the Preschool Language Scale-4 (PLS-4). Participants were split into low and high SES groups so associations between the CBQ and PLS-4 scores could be compared at each SES strata. Both reactivity and self-regulation were associated with language outcomes, consistent with prior research. Importantly, socioeconomic status was not found to moderate observed temperament-language relationships, so prior temperament-language research findings do not seem to be an artifact of high SES samples.

The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of caregiver-child interaction and temperament on cortisol concentrations of toddlers in full-day childcare. Sensitive and responsive caregiving is critical to the quality of children's early experiences. Caregivers who are attuned to unique needs of young children can support and guide child growth and development. In the context of relationships the child grows, develops, and learns to biologically respond to events in his or her world that he or she may perceive as threatening, with the production of cortisol. Studies show that regulation of cortisol release later in life may be shaped by social experiences during early development. This exploratory study investigated the influences of caregiver-child interaction and temperament as measured by the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) on cortisol concentrations in toddlers in full-day childcare. Seventy-three (31female, 42 male) toddlers, in 11 full-day childcare classrooms in communities in southern Appalachia participated. Classrooms were evaluated using the toddler Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and an adapted version of the Engagement Check II. Morning and afternoon cortisol concentration was measured in enzymeimmunoassays of saliva. Findings indicated that as years of teacher experience increased, cortisol concentrations decreased. Likewise, as the percentage of time toddlers were engaged in developmentally appropriate activities increased, cortisol concentration decreased. Mean cortisol concentrations decreased from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Findings of individual cortisol concentrations were mixed. Temperament data showed a relationship between management of arousal or impulse control (surgency) and cortisol concentration. No statistically significant correlation was found between cortisol concentration and the dimensions of the toddler CLASS. Regression analysis of the 3 dimensions of temperament (negative affect, effortful control, surgency) showed surgency to be related to cortisol concentration. The study adds to the body of research on very young children in full-day childcare and elevated cortisol concentrations by including children in communities in southern Appalachia as well as measuring teacher-child interaction in childcare using the newly released toddler CLASS. Future research is needed to delineate the developmental outcomes and long-term impact of excess stress in this population.

Abstract Self- perception is defined as the “distinctive combination of personality characteristics and social style by which one defines oneself and by which one is recognized by others” In children, self-perception can influence how they will approach a new situation, whether that is in school, at home, or a public outing with their family. Our study aims to expand on this research by defining the relationships between proximal influences, global self- worth, self- perception, behavioral conduct and how youth’s temperament influences these variables. We will be using the Rothbart Temperament Questionnaire and the Susan Harter Self- Perception Profiles to obtain data for our study. We hypothesize that youth’s temperament will affect two specific domains on the Susan Harter Self- Perception Profiles. We found that based on parents’ reports of their child’s temperament, a higher level of negative affectivity decreases the child report of self-perceived behavioral conduct.

abstract: This study investigated the relation between Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) temperament and depression, and whether such a relation might be further influenced by the indirect effects of parenting environment and empathic personal distress. A moderated mediation model was proposed to explain the underlying relations among SPS, depression, parenting environment and empathic personal distress. That is, greater levels of SPS temperament might predict higher levels of empathic personal distress, which then leads to increasing likelihood of experiencing depression. Moreover, it was predicted that this mediation relation might be significantly stronger under a less positive parenting context. The present study recruited 661 participants from a U.S. university and implemented questionnaires in an online survey. There was a significant main effect of SPS temperament in predicting empathic personal distress and depression, such that the more sensitive individuals reported higher empathic personal distress and depression. There also was a significant main effect of parenting environment on depression, where more positive parenting was associated with less depression. Empathic personal distress was found to partially mediate the relation between SPS and depression. That is, the association between SPS and depression could be partially explained by empathic personal distress. However, parenting environment did not moderate the main effect of SPS temperament on depression, the main effect of SPS on empathic personal distress, or the mediation model. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2019

Birth order effects have been the subject of considerable research in the developmental literature. One aim of the present investigation was to explore links between temperament and birth order. Temperament should be linked to birth order. Because infant temperament is related to maternal stress during pregnancy (Huizink et al, 2002), and because mothers caring for children while pregnant presumably experience more stress, laterborn children could have different temperamental profiles than earlier-born children. Research has also shown reliable links between birth order and vocabulary size in infancy; with second born children demonstrating significantly larger vocabularies at 21 months (Oshima-Takane et al., 1996). However, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the relationship between birth order and gestural productivity. Because gestural production is linked to language development (Iverson & Goldin-Meadow, 2005), it stands to reason that birth order should also be linked to gestural production. Thus, our second aim was to evaluate the relationship between birth order and gestural production. Eighty-three children (32 girls) visited the lab at M = 15.45 months (SD = 1.92 months). Caregivers completed the Infant Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R), the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Gestures (MCDIWG), and a demographic questionnaire assessing family size and birth order. The IBQ-R produced three overarching superdimensions: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Gestural productivity was derived from the MCDI-WG. In line with our first aim, we evaluated correlations between infant temperament and birth order. These analyses revealed a significant and positive relationship between later-born status and temperamental negative affectivity (r = .27, p = .03), indicating that later-born children were rated by mothers as temperamentally more negative in affective expression. Neither other temperament superdimension was related to birth order. Follow-up analyses revealed that sadness was the only subdimension of negative affectivity to be associated with later-born status (r = .31, p < .01). To investigate whether birth order was related to gestural production, we analyzed correlations between birth order and the MCDI-WG categories of "performing actions with objects" and "imitation". Positive and significant associations between birth order and both gestural production measures were found (performing actions with objects, r = .30, p = .03; and imitation, r = .35, p < .01). Although these results were in line with our expectations, they remain to be supported by replication. In the meantime, these results suggest interesting findings for both temperament and language researchers. First, later born children appear more at risk for temperamental difficulty. The source of this risk could include heightened maternal prenatal stress during pregnancy. But the source could also be postnatal, perhaps exacerbated by later-borns spending proportionally less time with caregivers, or more time sharing with siblings. Secondly, the gestural production results suggest that later born children are at a particular advantage. This advantage may be due to the fact that later born children, by virtue of their larger families, have more mode.