Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26. Caspi, A., Harrington, H., Milne, B., Amell, J. W., Theodore, R. F., & Moffitt, T. E. Journal of Personality, 71(4):495–513, August, 2003.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
We observed 1,000 3-year-old children who exhibited five temperament types: Undercontrolled, Inhibited, Confident, Reserved, and Well-adjusted. Twenty-three years later, we reexamined 96% of the children as adults, using multiple methods of comprehensive personality assessment, including both self- and informant-reports. These longitudinal data provide the longest and strongest evidence to date that children's early-emerging behavioral styles can foretell their characteristic behaviors, thoughts, and feelings as adults, pointing to the foundations of the human personality in the early years of life.
@article{caspi_childrens_2003,
	title = {Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26},
	volume = {71},
	issn = {0022-3506},
	doi = {10.1111/1467-6494.7104001},
	abstract = {We observed 1,000 3-year-old children who exhibited five temperament types: Undercontrolled, Inhibited, Confident, Reserved, and Well-adjusted. Twenty-three years later, we reexamined 96\% of the children as adults, using multiple methods of comprehensive personality assessment, including both self- and informant-reports. These longitudinal data provide the longest and strongest evidence to date that children's early-emerging behavioral styles can foretell their characteristic behaviors, thoughts, and feelings as adults, pointing to the foundations of the human personality in the early years of life.},
	language = {eng},
	number = {4},
	journal = {Journal of Personality},
	author = {Caspi, Avshalom and Harrington, HonaLee and Milne, Barry and Amell, James W. and Theodore, Reremoana F. and Moffitt, Terrie E.},
	month = aug,
	year = {2003},
	keywords = {Adult, BarryMilne, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, New Zealand, PRE-COMPASS, Personality Assessment, Personality Development, Psychometrics, Social Behavior, Temperament},
	pages = {495--513},
}

Downloads: 0