Jan Strelau - Böcker

The growing interest in research on temperament during the last decade has been re­ corded by several authors (e. g. , R. Plomin; J. E. Bates) from such sources of informa­ tion as the Social Sciences Citation Index or Psychological Abstracts. The editors' inquiry shows that the number of cases in which the term temperament was used in the title of a paper or in the paper's abstract published in Psychological Abstracts reveals an essential increase in research on temperament. During the years 1975 to 1979, the term temperament was used in the title and/or summary of 173 abstracts (i. e. , 34. 6 publications per year); during the next five years (1980-1984), it was used in 367 abstracts (73. 4 publications per year), whereas in the last five years (1985 to 1989), the term has appeared in 463 abstracts, that is, in 92. 6 publications per year. Even if the review of temperament literature is restricted to those abstracts, it can easily be concluded that temperament is used in different contexts and with different meanings, hardly allowing any comparisons or general statements. One of the consequences of this state of affairs is that our knowledge on temperament does not cumulate despite the increasing research activity in this field. This situation in temperament research motivated the editors to organize a one­ week workshop on The Diagnosis of Temperament (Bielefeld, Federal Republic of Germany, September 1987).

Temperament is the first monograph in 40 years to present theories and basic findings in the field of temperament from a broad international and interdisciplinary perspective. The text, based on the author's four decades of personal study and data collection, thoroughly explores the physiological, biochemical, and genetic bases of temperament - incorporating age-specific methods of assessment developed through child- and adult-oriented approaches. The 147 illustrations comprise tables of the most popular temperament inventories for both children and adults, and unique data tables illustrating the psychometric features of temperament inventories based on self-rating and rating by others.

'Nature or nurture? Are individuals born as an empty slate and shaped by their environment or are we already programmed to react in certain ways? Jan Strelau has spent more than fifty years studying this age-old question. He bases some of his conclusions on the pioneering work of the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov but carries them into the twenty-first century by including genetic studies. Strelau intends this book to provide a framework for others studying the field. He spends several chapters on methodology. He also gives the results of his studies, primarily on how different people react in stressful situations.' From the Foreword . . . 'Psychology can be a faddish field, not really solving problems but tiring of them and then running after a new fad. What I admire most is the systematic nature of Strelau’s fifty-year program of research. This book demonstrates the value of such long-term dedication to a systematic program of research.' Robert Plomin, King’s College London

Temperament is the first monograph in 40 years to present theories and basic findings in the field of temperament from a broad international and interdisciplinary perspective. The text, based on the author's four decades of personal study and data collection, thoroughly explores the physiological, biochemical, and genetic bases of temperament - incorporating age-specific methods of assessment developed through child- and adult-oriented approaches. The 147 illustrations comprise tables of the most popular temperament inventories for both children and adults, and unique data tables illustrating the psychometric features of temperament inventories based on self-rating and rating by others.

The growing interest in research on temperament during the last decade has been re­ corded by several authors (e. g. , R. Plomin; J. E. Bates) from such sources of informa­ tion as the Social Sciences Citation Index or Psychological Abstracts. The editors' inquiry shows that the number of cases in which the term temperament was used in the title of a paper or in the paper's abstract published in Psychological Abstracts reveals an essential increase in research on temperament. During the years 1975 to 1979, the term temperament was used in the title and/or summary of 173 abstracts (i. e. , 34. 6 publications per year); during the next five years (1980-1984), it was used in 367 abstracts (73. 4 publications per year), whereas in the last five years (1985 to 1989), the term has appeared in 463 abstracts, that is, in 92. 6 publications per year. Even if the review of temperament literature is restricted to those abstracts, it can easily be concluded that temperament is used in different contexts and with different meanings, hardly allowing any comparisons or general statements. One of the consequences of this state of affairs is that our knowledge on temperament does not cumulate despite the increasing research activity in this field. This situation in temperament research motivated the editors to organize a one­ week workshop on The Diagnosis of Temperament (Bielefeld, Federal Republic of Germany, September 1987).