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Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Caspi, A; Harrington, H; Milne, B; Amell, JW; Theodore, RF; Moffitt, TE
Published in: Journal of personality
August 2003

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.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Journal of personality

DOI

EISSN

1467-6494

ISSN

0022-3506

Publication Date

August 2003

Volume

71

Issue

4

Start / End Page

495 / 513

Related Subject Headings

  • Temperament
  • Social Psychology
  • Social Behavior
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Development
  • Personality Assessment
  • New Zealand
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Humans
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Caspi, A., Harrington, H., Milne, B., Amell, J. W., Theodore, R. F., & Moffitt, T. E. (2003). Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26. Journal of Personality, 71(4), 495–513. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.7104001
Caspi, Avshalom, HonaLee Harrington, Barry Milne, James W. Amell, Reremoana F. Theodore, and Terrie E. Moffitt. “Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26.Journal of Personality 71, no. 4 (August 2003): 495–513. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.7104001.
Caspi A, Harrington H, Milne B, Amell JW, Theodore RF, Moffitt TE. Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26. Journal of personality. 2003 Aug;71(4):495–513.
Caspi, Avshalom, et al. “Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26.Journal of Personality, vol. 71, no. 4, Aug. 2003, pp. 495–513. Epmc, doi:10.1111/1467-6494.7104001.
Caspi A, Harrington H, Milne B, Amell JW, Theodore RF, Moffitt TE. Children's behavioral styles at age 3 are linked to their adult personality traits at age 26. Journal of personality. 2003 Aug;71(4):495–513.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of personality

DOI

EISSN

1467-6494

ISSN

0022-3506

Publication Date

August 2003

Volume

71

Issue

4

Start / End Page

495 / 513

Related Subject Headings

  • Temperament
  • Social Psychology
  • Social Behavior
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Development
  • Personality Assessment
  • New Zealand
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Humans