abstract: Accumulating evidence implicates exposure to adverse childhood experiences in the development of hypocortisolism in the long-term, and researchers are increasingly examining individual-level mechanisms that may underlie, exacerbate or attenuate this relation among at-risk populations. The current study takes a developmentally and theoretically informed approach to examining episodic childhood stressors, inherent and voluntary self-regulation, and physiological reactivity among a longitudinal sample of youth who experienced parental divorce. Participants were drawn from a larger randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention for children of divorce between the ages of 9 and 12. The current sample included 159 young adults (mean age = 25.5 years; 53% male; 94% Caucasian) who participated in six waves of data collection, including a 15-year follow-up study. Participants reported on exposure to negative life events (four times over a 9-month period) during childhood, and mothers rated child temperament. Six years later, youth reported on the use of active and avoidant coping strategies, and 15 years later, they participated in a standardized psychosocial stress task and provided salivary cortisol samples prior to and following the task. Path analyses within a structural equation framework revealed that a multiple mediation model best fit the data. It was found that children with better mother-rated self-regulation (i.e. low impulsivity, low negative emotionality, and high attentional focus) exhibited lower total cortisol output 15 years later. In addition, greater self-regulation in childhood predicted greater use of active coping in adolescence, whereas a greater number of negative life events predicted increased use of avoidant coping in adolescence. Finally, a greater number of negative events in childhood predicted marginally lower total cortisol output, and higher levels of active coping in adolescence were associated with greater total cortisol output in young adulthood. Findings suggest that children of divorce who exhibit better self-regulation evidence lower cortisol output during a standardized psychosocial stress task relative to those who have higher impulsivity, lower attentional focus, and/or higher negative emotionality. The conceptual significance of the current findings, including the lack of evidence for hypothesized relations, methodological issues that arose, and issues in need of future research are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Psychology 2013

A teoria dos temperamentos de David Kersey indica que há diferentes disposições de agir e comportar-se de acordo com tipos psicológicos. Diferentes temperamentos têm diferentes interpretações dos fatos, reagem de modo distinto a essas interpretações, tomam decisões baseados em diferentes critérios e lidam com as situações de modo diverso. A presente tese pretende tornar os tipos (ideais) de Keirsey (ISTP, ESFJ etc.) visíveis e concretos, por meio da análise de personagens de ficção: a família Barone da série televisiva Everybody Loves Raymond, e assim poder oferecer subsídios para a educação, tornando visíveis, em perfis biográficos, temas nos quais o temperamento deve ser levado em conta por educadores para aperfeiçoar sua compreensão dos educandos. São assim analisados em detalhes, dos personagens bem elaborados de Everybody Loves Raymond, pessoas comuns, vivendo seu quotidiano de acordo com seus tipos de temperamento e mostra-se em vida real um ESFP, uma ESTJ, uma ESFJ, um ISTP e um NF/SJ. Eles nos propiciam um melhor reconhecimento, melhor compreensão e discussão de importantes temas pedagógicos (aprendizagem, concepção de escola, lidar com a culpa e o dever etc.), tal como vivenciados por diferentes tipos de temperamento. / The temperament theory of David Kersey indicates that each individual was born with a disposition to act and behave in certain ways according to his type. People with different temperaments have different interpretations of events, will react to these interpretations in different manners, will make choices based on different criteria, and will deal with situations in different manners. Keirseys theory is also important for education: teachers and parents should take temperament into account in order to improve their understanding of the students. This thesis aims to make Keirseys (ideal) types (ISTP, ESFJ etc.) more concrete by fleshing them out into fictional characters: the Barone family of the TV series Everybody Loves Raymond. Throughout the episodes of the sitcom, we can see three-dimensional and believable characters: ordinary people living ordinary lives according to their temperament types. In Everybody Loves Raymond we have in action, like in real life, an ESFP (Raymond), an ESTJ (Debra), an ESFJ (Marie), an ISTP (Frank) and a NF/SJ (Robert). They make easier to recognize, understand and discuss different types of temperament on important educational matters (learning, conception of the school, guilt, duty etc.)

Introdução: O estudo da personalidade apresenta uma influência crescente no entendimento da heterogeneidade de transtornos psiquiátricos. O temperamento em particular parece contribuir para a grande variabilidade do TDAH. Tal associação é examinada neste estudo, fazendo parte de um projeto mais amplo que envolve desde as bases genéticas até a comorbidade e resposta a tratamento do TDAH. Artigo: Este estudo examina escores nas dimensões de temperamento do TCI em subtipos de TDAH em adultos. Cento e quarenta e seis pacientes (66 mulheres e 80 homens) foram recrutados através de informação na imprensa acerca de manifestações do TDAH para um programa de pesquisa. Os diagnósticos de TDAH foram realizados pelo DSM-IV e a avaliação do temperamento teve por base o TCI. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois subtipos de TDAH: desatento (N=52) e hiperativo/combinado (N=92). Os escores de temperamento foram então avaliados em análises de variância de dois fatores (sexo e subtipo), com correção para a idade. Os pacientes do subtipo hiperativo/combinado apresentaram escores mais altos em procura de novidades (P=0,033), enquanto os desatentos, uma tendência não significativa para escores maiores em dependência de premiação (P=0,064). Nas comparações entre os sexos, as mulheres apresentaram escores maiores em esquiva ao dano (P=0,029) e dependência de premiação (P=0,010). Foi observada uma interação significativa entre o sexo e o subtipo sobre os escores de persistência. Enquanto entre os homens o subtipo hiperativo/combinado mostrou-se associado a escores mais altos em persistência, o inverso foi observado no sexo feminino. Este estudo sugere que a avaliação do temperamento pode contribuir na compreensão da heterogeneidade clínica do TDAH. Discussão e conclusões: Os achados deste estudo são coerentes com a literatura examinada, apontando para o papel de variações do temperamento na heterogeneidade do TDAH. / Introduction: Current research on personality assessment presents a growing influence on the understanding of the clinical heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders. Specifically, temperament seems to contribute to the large ADHD variability. Such association is analyzed here as part of a larger project encompassing from genetics to comorbidity and response to treatment in ADHD. Article: This study aims to evaluate temperament dimension scores of TCI in ADHD subtypes in adult subjects. One hundred forty six patients (66 females and 80 males) were self referred by press information on ADHD symptoms. The diagnosis of ADHD was confirmed using DSM-IV criteria and temperament was assessed with the TCI. Patients were separated in two ADHD subtype groups: inattentive (N=52) and hyperactive/combined ones (N=92). Temperament scores were measured by two factors ANOVA analysis (gender and subtype), with age correction. Hyperactive/combined patients scored higher in novelty seeking (P=0.033) while inattentive presented a nonsignificant trend towards higher scores in reward dependence (P=0.064). Comparing genders, females showed higher scores in harm avoidance (P=0.029) and reward dependence (P=0.010). A significant interaction between gender and subtypes was observed in persistence scores. While combined/hyperactive males presented higher persistence scores, the opposite was observed among females. This study suggests that temperament assessment can contribute to the understanding of the clinical heterogeneity in ADHD. Discussion and conclusions: The results of this investigation are coherent with the current literature, pointing towards the role of temperament variability on the heterogeneity of ADHD.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-11-03T15:47:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Suely Alves de Lima.pdf: 693035 bytes, checksum: 5d20ea90b7c3198f2a791b8b01b1996f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-03T15:47:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Suely Alves de Lima.pdf: 693035 bytes, checksum: 5d20ea90b7c3198f2a791b8b01b1996f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Two experiments were carried out at the farm of University of Western Australia, in Perth, Australia, with the objective of studying the temperament of Merino ewes in response to male effect. In the first one, 30 females were utilized (15 calm and 15 nervous), having as probable parameters of evaluation the changes in the secretion profile of LH. Another group of 30 ewes was also equally distributed according to the temperament (15 calms and 15 nervous) and was studied to evaluate the response to male effect through the analysis of the profile of progesterone production. The results showed that calm ewes exhibited a higher response to male effect (P<0,001) that was demonstrated by a higher average concentration of LH 6 hours before and 6 hours after the ram introduction in the group, as well as higher general average of progesterone concentration (P<0,05) at Day 21 of blood sampling On the second experiment, 402 ewes were submitted to three different treatments, with 134 females per group, being that the first two treatments (G1 and G2) were exposed to teasing for 60 and 15 days, respectively, before the harnessed rams introduction and the G3 was kept without this stimulus until the breeding season. No statistical difference was observed among the treatments (P>0,05) related to weekly estrus distribution identified by the rams (P>0,05) neither in relation to the percentage of pregnancy detected by real time ultrasound (P>0,05). The experiment was done in the experimental farm of Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, in Sergipe State. Santa Inês ewes were utilized from three different categories: post-partum (G1), maiden (G2) and single ewes (G3) which were exposed to male effect through the use of teasers for 45 days. Post-partum females showed a response to male effect similar to that observed in ewes during the season anoestrus, with the concentration of first estrus between Day 17 and 25 after teasers exhibition. On the other hand, maiden and single ewes presented a random estrus distribution concentrated in the first 18 days after the introduction of males. These results confirm the efficiency of male effect on anoestrus females, as well as indicate that animals with a calm temperament presented a higher response to this stimulation. / Dois experimentos foram realizados na fazenda da Universidade de Western Australia, em Perth, Austrália, com o objetivo de estudar o temperamento de ovelhas Merino em resposta ao efeito macho. No primeiro, foram utilizadas 30 fêmeas (15 calmas e 15 nervosas), tendo como parâmetro de avaliação as prováveis mudanças no perfil de secreção de LH (Hormônio Luteinizante). Um outro grupo de 30 ovelhas, eqüitativamente distribuído de acordo com o temperamento (15 calmas e 15 nervosas) foi estudado para se avaliar a resposta ao efeito macho, através da análise do perfil de produção de progesterona. Os resultados mostraram que as ovelhas calmas exibiram uma maior resposta ao efeito macho (P<0,001) que foi traduzida numa maior concentração média de LH 6 h antes e 6 h após a introdução dos carneiros,assim como apresentaram uma maior média geral de concentração de progesterona (P<0,05) ao final do 21º dia de colheita de sangue. No segundo experimento, 402 ovelhas foram submetidas a três diferentes tratamentos, com 134 fêmeas por grupo, sendo que os dois primeiros (G1 e G2) foram expostos a rufiação por 60 e 15 dias, respectivamente, antes da introdução dos carneiros com marcadores e o G3 permaneceu sem este estímulo até a estação de cobertura. Não foi observada diferença entre os três grupos (P>0,05) quanto à distribuição dos estros semanais identificados pelos carneiros com marcadores, nem com relação ao porcentual de prenhez detectada por ultra-sonografia (P>0,05). O terceiro experimento foi executado no campo experimental da Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, em Sergipe. Foram utilizadas ovelhas Santa Inês de três diferentes categorias, pós-parto (G1), ovelhas jovens (G2) e solteiras (G3) que foram expostas ao efeito macho com o uso de rufiões, durante 45 dias. As fêmeas no pós-parto apresentaram uma resposta ao efeito macho próxima daquela observada em ovelhas no anestro estacional, concentrando o primeiro estro entre o 17º e o 25º dia após a exposição aos rufiões. Enquanto as ovelhas jovens e ovelhas solteiras exibiram uma distribuição do primeiro estro aleatória e concentrada nos primeiros 18 dias após a introdução dos machos. Esses resultados confirmam a eficiência do efeito macho em fêmeas em anestro, assim como indicam que animais de temperamento calmo apresentaram uma maior resposta a esta bioestimulação.

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.

O Jogo Patológico é um transtorno psiquiátrico em que fatores genéticos e de personalidade contribuem significativamente para seu desenvolvimento. Este estudo comparou características clínicas, de personalidade e polimorfismos de genes envolvidos na atividade dopaminérgica cerebral em pares discordantes de irmãos para o diagnóstico de Jogo Patológico. Na análise discriminante, as dimensões de personalidade extravagância, persistência, segunda natureza, apego e o escore total da Escala de Impulsividade de Barrat foram capazes de classificar corretamente 90,7% dos sujeitos, sugerindo-se a utilização deste modelo para a identificação de indivíduos vulneráveis em famílias com histórico de Jogo Patológico. O polimorfismo -800 T/C do gene DRD1 foi associado ao diagnóstico de Jogo Patológico / Pathological Gambling is a psychiatric disorder in which personality characteristics and genetic factors significantly account for its development. This study compared clinical and personality features, and genes involved in dopaminergic transmission in discordant sib-pairs for the diagnosis of Pathological Gambling. Discriminant analysis revealed that the personality dimensions of extravagance, persistence, second nature, attachment and the total score on the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale were able to correctly classify 90,7% of the subjects, suggesting that this model could be useful in identifying vulnerable subjects in families with prior history of Pathological Gambling. The DRD1 gene polymorphism -800 T/C was associated to the diagnosis of Pathological Gambling

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a relação entre as características comportamentais apresentadas pelos cães nos centros de controle de zoonoses (CCZs) e o escore total do questionário proposto por Archer e Ireland (2011) que mede aspectos do vínculo entre seres humanos e cães., além de verificar a relação entre as características físicas e comportamentais dos animais e o tempo de permanência nos Centros de Controle de Zoonoses. Para tal, o trabalho foi realizado junto aos Centros de Controle de Zoonoses dos municípios de São Paulo e Guarulhos, utilizando os cães disponíveis para a adoção. Foram selecionados de maneira aleatória 165 animais. Todos os parâmetros físicos (obtidos através de observação direta e consultas de prontuários) e comportamentais (obtidos através de consultas de prontuários, questionários respondidos por funcionários e testes comportamentais) foram comparados com o escore total do questionário relacionado ao vínculo, utilizado de 58 a 68 dias após a adoção e com o tempo de permanência do animal no CCZ. Nenhum dos parâmetros comportamentais ou físicos apresentaram relação com o escore total obtido através do questionário. O tempo de permanência nos CCZs não apresentou correlação com nenhum desses parâmetros. Esse resultado indica que o tanto o score total do questionário como o tempo de permanência nos CCZs podem estar relacionados à outros fatores como a experiência prévia das pessoas que adotam. / The present work aimed to analyze the relationship between dogs behavioral characteristics exhibited in zoonosis control centers (CCZs) and the attachment of the families that adopted them, 58-68 days after the adoption. In addition, we investigated the relationship of length of stay at the CCZs with physical and behavioral characteristics of dogs. The work was done at the CCZs of São Paulo and Guarulhos cities (São Paulo state, Brazil) using 165 randomly selected dogs, available for adoption. Physical and behavioral parameters were obtained through direct observation, medical records, staff questionnaires and behavioral tests. The parameters were compared with the total score of a human-dog attachment questionnaire (ARCHER and IRELAND, 2011), and with the length of stay at the CCZ. None of the physical or behavioral parameters correlate with the questionnaire total score or with the length of stay. This result indicates that both the total score of the questionnaire and the length of stay in the CCZs may be related to other factors such as previous experience of adoptants.

A abordagem de Rothbart demonstra a importância do temperamento infantil na formação da personalidade e no interjogo entre fatores de risco e mecanismos de proteção ao desenvolvimento. Novas questões surgiram sobre os instrumentos de avaliação do temperamento nessa abordagem com relação à necessidade de uma visão mais abrangente do comportamento da criança e de estudos que focalizem a avaliação em amostras vulneráveis. A presente pesquisa teve por objetivo elaborar e testar a aplicabilidade de um procedimento combinado de avaliação do temperamento de crianças, por meio de questionário e de observação da interação mãe-criança, em amostras de crianças com desenvolvimento típico e desenvolvimento em risco devido à prematuridade. A amostra incluiu 10 crianças, sendo cinco crianças nascidas a termo e cinco crianças nascidas pré-termo, com idade entre 18 a 36 meses, e suas respectivas mães. A coleta de dados foi realizada no domicílio da criança onde foram aplicados com a mãe: o The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire e um questionário semi-estruturado sobre o temperamento da criança. Além disso, foi realizada uma observação sistemática em situação lúdica-livre da interação mãe-criança. A análise de dados da interação mãe-criança incluiu três sistemas que avaliaram: a) inicio dos episódios de contato; b) dinâmica das atividades; c) natureza das atividades. Além de duas escalas que avaliaram: a) responsividade materna, sincronia, ritmo, intensidade, tom emocional e direcionamento da interação; b) entusiasmo, intrusividade, qualidade das direções, raiva ou frustração e qualidade do cuidado materno e oposicionismo da criança. As verbalizações das díades também foram analisadas. As observações foram analisadas por meio do programa Observer XT e os dados analisados em termos de estatística descritiva por meio do SPSS (versão 19.0). Os resultados mostraram que os escores dos fatores do temperamento das crianças nascidas a termo apresentaram a seguinte ordem crescente: Afeto Negativo, Extroversão e Controle com Esforço. Por outro lado, as crianças nascidas pré-termo apresentaram a seguinte ordem crescente: Afeto Negativo, Controle com Esforço e Extroversão. Com relação à interação mãe-criança, os intercâmbios iniciados pela mãe foram mais frequentes nos dois grupos. A atividade compartilhada pela díade obteve maior frequência nas díades a termo, enquanto que as atividades realizadas pela criança com participação parcial da mãe foi mais frequente no grupo de crianças prematuras em relação às demais dinâmicas. As mães das crianças nascidas a termo foram mais responsivas do que as mães das crianças prematuras. Houve maior intrusividade materna, raiva ou frustração e oposicionismo da criança nas díades de criança prematuras em relação às díades a termo. Os sistemas utilizados na avaliação da interação permitiram a análise dos comportamentos interativos das díades, além de mostrar as especificidades associadas ao temperamento da criança e comportamento materno. O modelo combinado de avaliação do temperamento foi capaz de identificar diferenças no padrão de comportamento das crianças com desenvolvimento típico e com a presença do risco biológico da prematuridade. A observação da interação mãe-criança foi fundamental para verificar a interação entre o temperamento da criança e os comportamentos maternos e consequentemente observar possíveis vieses no relato materno sobre o temperamento da criança. / Rothbart\'s approach demonstrates the importance of child temperament in shaping the personality and the interplay between risk factors and protective mechanisms to development. New questions have arisen about the assessment temperament instruments in this approach concerning the need for a more comprehensive view of the child\'s behavior and the importance of studies that focus on the evaluation of vulnerable samples. The present study aimed to develop and test the applicability of a combined procedure for evaluating toddler temperament through questionnaire and observation of mother-child interaction in samples of children with typical development and development at risk concerning the prematurity. The sample included 10 toddlers, five toddlers were born full-term and five preterm toddlers, aged 18 to 36 months, and their mothers. Data collection was conducted in the child\'s home where were applied with the mothers: The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire and a semi-structured questionnaire about the child\'s temperament. Besides, a systematic observation in play-free mother-child interaction was performed. Data analysis of mother-child interaction included three systems that assessed: a) the early episodes of contact; b) dynamic activities; c) the nature of the activities. Besides two scales that assessed: a) maternal responsiveness, timing, rhythm, intensity, emotional tone, and direction of the interaction, b) enthusiasm, intrusiveness, quality of directions, anger or frustration, and quality of maternal care and oppositional defiant child. The verbalizations of the dyads were also analyzed. The observations were analyzed using the software Observer XT and analyzed in terms of descriptive statistics using SPSS (version 19.0). The results showed that the scores on temperament factors of the full-term toddlers presented the increasing following order: Negative Affect, Extroversion and Effortful Control. On the other hand, toddlers born preterm showed the increasing following order: Negative Affect, Effortful Control and Extroversion. Concerning the mother-child interaction, the episodes of contact initiated by the mother were predominant in both groups. The activity shared by the dyad was more frequently in full-term toddlers, while the activities performed by the toddler\'s with partial participation of mother was more frequent in the group of premature toddlers in relation to other dynamics. The mothers of full-term toddlers were more responsive than mothers of premature toddlers. The premature toddlers dyads had more intrusiveness mothers, anger or frustration and oppositional defiant toddlers than the full-term toddlers dyads. Systems used to evaluate the interaction allowed the analysis of interactive behaviors of dyads, besides showing the specifics associated with the toddler\'s temperament and maternal behavior. The combined model of temperament assessment was able to identify differences in the pattern of toddlers\' behavior with typical development and with the presence of biological risk of prematurity. The observation of mother-child interaction was essential to verify the interaction between the toddler\'s temperament and maternal behaviors and thereby observe possible biases in maternal report of child temperament.

The origins of aggression warrant extensive investigation given its substantial cost to both victims and perpetrators. However, only recently have researchers begun to understand the prevalence and harm associated with relational aggression, which is behaviour intended to damage another person’s feelings, relationships, or social status, such as social exclusion or spreading rumors. Even with this heightened research interest in relational aggression there is a paucity of studies conducted with children prior to age four, the developmental period in which relational aggression begins to emerge. In this dissertation we ascertain what unique lags in development or blossoming capacities coincide with the emergence of both physical and relational aggression during early childhood. In Study 1, we examined differential predictors (sex, age, prosocial behaviour, internalizing problems, and impulsivity) of teacher-rated aggression style (physically aggressive, relationally aggressive, or combined physically and relationally aggressive) among preschoolers (N = 429; M = 41.29, SD = 8.14) using multinomial logistic regression. Being a boy and being higher on impulsivity were both substantial risk factors for use of physical aggression (alone or combined with relational aggression). In Study 2, we explored longitudinal associations between preschoolers’ (N = 126; Mage = 39.15 months, SD = 6.67) assessed language (receptive and expressive vocabulary), parent-rated working memory, and teacher-rated aggression (physical and relational) across one year using an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model. Longitudinally, physical aggression showed stability and both better working memory and previously higher physical aggression predicted higher relational aggression over one year. There were no longitudinal links between language and aggression when simultaneously accounting for working memory in the model, emphasizing the need to account for working memory in this association in future research. In Study 3, using four, separate multivariate multiple regressions, we examined the linear and interactive effects between negative emotionality and several aspects of self-regulation (inhibitory, emotional [soothability], attentional [attention span], and metacognitive [working memory] control) in the prediction of preschoolers’ (N = 198; M = 33.65 months, SD = 5.02) physical and relational aggression. Poorer inhibitory and metacognitive control were associated with higher physical aggression regardless of trait negative emotionality, highlighting the importance of self-regulation rather than emotional reactivity in models of physical aggression. Poorer inhibitory control was also linked to higher relational aggression. Also, negative emotionality was most strongly linked to relational aggression at higher levels of emotional control or attentional control. In summary, the results of the present dissertation support a skill-deficit model of preschool physical aggression (alone or in combination with relational aggression) and both a skill-deficit and developmental advancement model for preschool relational aggression.

Le concept de personnalité est vaste et polysémique. Au fil des époques, diverses théories de la personnalité ont pu complexifier son abord. Parmi ces théories, l’approche psychobiologique intègre des variables psychologiques et biologiques comme explicatives des différences interindividuelles. C.R. Cloninger a élaboré un modèle combinant quatre dimensions du tempérament, dimensions innées de la personnalité fortement influencées par la génétique : Recherche de Nouveauté, Evitement du Danger, Dépendance à la Récompense, Persistance et trois dimensions du caractère, dimensions acquises au cours de la vie sous l’influence de l’apprentissage et de l’environnement : Détermination, Coopération, Transcendance. Il est évalué au moyen des Inventaires du Tempérament et du Caractère (TCI) dont les forces et les faiblesses n’ont pas été examinées sur le plan qualitatif dans la littérature. Initialement développé dans le champ de la psychopathologie, ce modèle voit ces applications émerger dans les champs de la neurologie et de la neuroépidémiologie. Le travail de thèse présenté ici a plusieurs objectifs. Dans un premier temps, il se propose d’évaluer les relations du modèle de Cloninger avec le modèle dimensionnel du Big Five, le plus utilisé actuellement dans la littérature internationale. Dans un second temps, les auteurs ont évalué l’influence de variables sociodémographiques (sexe et âge) sur les dimensions du modèle psychobiologique. Dans un troisième temps, par une approche factorielle et une approche pragmatique et lexicale originale, les items des différents TCI en langue française ont été examinés en vue d’évaluer les points forts et les points faibles de ces inventaires. Dans un dernier temps, une version en hétéro-évaluation du TCI (TCI-125-HQ) a été élaborée afin de permettre une utilisation auprès de personnes ne pouvant remplir un auto-questionnaire du fait de troubles neurocognitifs. Les résultats de ce travail ont corroboré les données issues d’autres pays sur des chevauchements existants entre les dimensions des deux modèles de la personnalité et sur l’influence des variables âge et sexe sur certains scores dimensionnels du TCI. Les analyses factorielles ont retrouvé une structuration correcte du TCI-125. De plus, les coefficients alpha de Cronbach présentent des valeurs allant de 0,59 à 0,85 pour les dimensions de cet inventaire. L’approche pragmatique et lexicale des versions françaises du TCI a permis de retrouver de très bonnes compréhensibilité, acceptabilité et traduction des items par rapport à l’anglais, mais avec au moins 14,9 % des items ayant une désirabilité sociale trop élevée. Enfin, le TCI-125-HQ a été validé avec des qualités psychométriques satisfaisantes (validité interne, validité concourante, fidélité test-retest, fidélité inter-juges). L’ensemble de nos travaux a démontré les points forts et les points faibles du modèle de Cloninger et des TCI français et devrait permettre ainsi le développement d’études futures dans les pays francophones. / The concept of personality is broad and polysemic. Over the ages, various theories of personality could complicate its definition. Among these theories, psychobiological approach integrates psychological and biological variables as predictors of inter-individual differences. C.R. Cloninger developed a model combining four dimensions of temperament, innate dimensions of personality strongly influenced by Genetics: Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Persistence; and three character dimensions, acquired dimensions during life and under the influence of learning and the environment: Self-directedness, Cooperativeness, Self-transcendence. It is evaluated with Temperament and Character Inventories (TCI), but whose strengths and weaknesses were not considered qualitatively in the literature. Originally developed in the field of psychopathology, this model sees these applications emerge in the field of Neurology and Neuroepidemiology. The thesis work presented here had several objectives. Firstly, it proposed to assess the relationship of the Cloninger’s model and the Big Five dimensional model, the most currently used in the international literature. Secondly, the authors evaluated the influence of socio-demographic variables (gender and age) on the dimensions of the psychobiological model. Thirdly, by a factorial approach and an original pragmatic and lexical one, the items of the different French TCI were examined to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these inventories. Finally, a peer-report form of the TCI-125 (TCI-125-HQ) was developed to allow its use by people with an inability to complete a self-administered questionnaire because of neurocognitive disorders. The results of this work are consistent with data from other countries on existing overlaps between the two dimensional models of personality and the influence of the variables age and sex on certain TCI dimensional scores. Factorial analysis found a correct structuring of the TCI-125. In addition, Cronbach's alpha coefficients showed values ranging from .59 to .85 for the dimensions of this inventory. The pragmatic and lexical approach allowed us to find very good comprehensibility, acceptability and translation of items compared to the English version of the French versions of the TCI, but with at least 14.9 % of the items having a too high social desirability. Finally, the TCI-125-HQ has been validated with satisfactory psychometric qualities (internal validity, concurrent validity, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability). All our work demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of French TCI and Cloninger’s model should enable the development of future studies in Francophone countries.