Parenting

     Most psychologists agree that the personality that a child develops as he grows up is the product of a mix of factors, some innate and others learned. Washington University psychologist Robert Cloninger sums this up very simply in a model of personality that consists of two main elements, temperament and character.

     Temperament, which has a genetic component and is relatively innate, refers to traits such as shyness or extroversion. To a great extent, temperament is what the child brings into the world with him, and while childhood temperament does not determine the adult temperament, it does stack the odds against certain outcomes by limiting future directions. Character, which is more a product of environment and upbringing, includes such traits as personal values, morality, ethics, and beliefs about the importance of education.

     In other words, a child’s character is something parents can have a powerful influence on.  Harvard psychologist Jerome Kagan views the ways that parents exert an influence on their child’s development as falling into three main categories: direct interactions, emotional identification, and family stories. Here’s summary of what those categories mean, the ages at which they have the strongest effect on a child, and examples of how a parent, or other early caregiver, might use this knowledge to a child’s benefit.