You see your cousin at a family party and he tells you how much trouble he is having with one of his twin sons, Blake. He says that Blake is completely different from their older daughter and son, who would sit still engaged in an activity and never hit (Blake hit his cousin when on vacation and your cousin was completely humiliated when his sister-in-law yelled at him). How would Thomas and Chess explain these differences in behavior? What can you say to reassure him?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Thomas and Chess would say that this child has a difficult temperament, meaning that he does not adapt as well to new situations as easy or slow-to-warm-up children. He also has more intense emotional reactions. Based on the theory of "goodness of fit," babies with difficult temperaments do better if their parents are patient and warm as they help the child to learn appropriate ways of responding. Being angry and showing that frustration when disciplining is likely to make matters worse. Answers on what to say to the father will vary, but students might explain that the child cannot yet use language to express his frustration, so as his caregiver, the father needs to teach the child how to use his words rather than hitting.