Pérez-Edgar Koraly, Gunther Kelley E, Vallorani Alicia
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2025 Jun;34(3):171-178. doi: 10.1177/09637214241311919. Epub 2025 Mar 30.
Temperament traits are early appearing and relatively stable phenotypic profiles of behavior that are present across space and time. This definition invariably reflects the timescale imposed when gathering repeated measures of our variables of interest and our reliance on aggregate, mean-level values. However, if the time scale of observations is shortened, and the frequency of observations increased, underlying or latent fluctuations and variability may emerge. Embedding short-term fluctuations into slower developmental trajectories may improve our understanding of behavior in the moment, while also strengthening prediction. Researchers should embrace a more granular time scale in research, incorporating new technology and analytical approaches, enhancing our ability to capture developmental change. This review illustrates with the temperament literature how shifting time scales can provide new insight into social, behavioral, and cognitive processes across development.
气质特质是早期出现且相对稳定的行为表型特征，这些特征在空间和时间上都存在。这个定义总是反映出在收集我们感兴趣变量的重复测量数据时所采用的时间尺度，以及我们对总体均值水平值的依赖。然而，如果缩短观察的时间尺度，并增加观察的频率，潜在的波动和变异性可能会显现出来。将短期波动嵌入到较慢的发展轨迹中，可能会增进我们对当下行为的理解，同时也能加强预测能力。研究人员在研究中应采用更精细的时间尺度，结合新技术和分析方法，提高我们捕捉发展变化的能力。这篇综述通过气质文献说明了时间尺度的转变如何能为发展过程中的社会、行为和认知过程提供新的见解。
