Temperament Differences between Infants Who do and do Not Complete Laboratory Testing

Abstract

Temperament differences were examined in a group of 24 Caucasian infants classified as completers (n = 16) and noncompleters (n = 8) on the basis of their performance in a visual habituation study. Maternal ratings of infant temperament based upon the Infant Temperament Questionnaire Revised revealed that noncompleters, in comparison with completers, were found to be more: arrhythmic, withdrawing, and intense, and less distractible. A composite measure of difficultness found the completers more likely to be classified as "easy" while the noncompleters were often classified as "difficult" babies. The findings suggest that to increase the external validity of infant research it may be beneficial to include more exact descriptions both of Ss who complete and those who fail to complete experiments.