The research program completes a sample of infant twins for a multi-method longitudinal appraisal of temperament from the neonatal period through 30 months of age. Infant twins offer a powerful resource for detecting similarities and differences among genetically related pairs and examining the stability and organization of temperament characteristics over age. From the perspective of developmental behavior genetics, features of temperament may be examined for genetic influences on dimensions of temperament and their reorganization when transitions occur. Twins provide an opportunity to detect specific contributions of parents, family/home when two infants' temperament may differ markedly at a given time or over time. The principal aims of the program are to: (a) complete a sample of neonatal assessments of all twins in newborn nurseries for an initial measure of irritability, reactivity, and developmental status; (b) complete assessments of a longitudinal sample of twins so that 280 pairs have a multi-method appraisal of temperament at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months, as based on direct observations of twins' behavior during standardized procedures in a structured laboratory setting, temperament questionnaires completed by parents, IBR ratings obtained during Bayley mental testing, and parental interviews; and (c) complete appraisals of the family/home environment and its contribution to temperament development. Laboratory sessions are videotaped. The results are ultimately addressed to the questions of origins, patterning among variables, sources of stability/instability over ages, and the joint collaboration of genetic and environmental factors for the determinants of temperament. This project, linked with other data sets, also demonstrates the potential relevance of newborn and infant temperament, examined longitudinally, for its contribution to preschoolers' liability for unintentional injuries.
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