Temperament and personality are two aspects of a person’s life that are related to each other in many ways. Each of them needs to be developed from an early stage with proper care.
This is because they may stick with a person throughout their life even if they turn out to be negative. Therefore, there are several differences between them that need to be understood for this purpose.
Temperament vs Personality
The difference between temperament and personality is that temperament only revolves around behaviour and its consistent differences that are based on biological factors whereas personality revolves around behaviour, cognition, and even emotions, which are based on biological as well as environmental factors. This also reflects the fact that temperament cannot be modified whereas personality can.
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Temperament is a broad term that refers to patterns of a person’s behaviour throughout his life. It cannot be affected by external factors and is only due to biology.
A person’s temperament cannot be learnt, modified, or adapted in coherence with different situations. However, children are able to reflect their temperament more than adults can.
Meanwhile, the definition of personality is not yet agreed upon universally. However, most people who use the term generally refer to the patterns of behaviour, emotion, and cognition that a person exhibits.
It can be influenced by a variety of factors and a person can change and modify it numerous times throughout their life.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Temperament | Personality |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It refers to the style, patterns, and intensity of the behaviour of a person. | It refers to the patterns of behaviour, emotions, and cognition that a person exhibits. |
| Connotation | It revolves around reactions and sensitivity. | It revolves around the content of the reactions. |
| Nature | It is inherited. | It is acquired. |
| Influences | It is only influenced by biological factors. | It is influenced by environments, interactions, and even biological factors. |
| Permanency | It is permanent and cannot be modified. | It is not permanent and can be modified. |
What is Temperament?
Temperament has a very broad definition. It refers to the patterns, style, and intensity of behaviours that a person exhibits. These are influenced only by biological factors, which means that they are inherited.
There is very little scope for them to change or modify as they mostly revolve around a person’s sensitivity and reactions, which lead to certain behaviours.
It is impossible for temperaments to be learned or acquired by individuals. It remains constant throughout a person’s life from the time of birth. Interestingly, it is easier to perceive the temperament of a child than it is of adults.
For this reason, studies regarding this concept are often carried out surrounding children.
Even though temperament is only influenced by biological factors, it affects a person’s life in many ways. It can manifest itself emotionally, mentally, and even physically.
A great example of this is when parents and their children both have a very active temperament, it is easy for conflicts to arise between them.
However, there are several things that can be understood from a person’s temperament as well. For example, a parent can make efforts to recognize patterns in their children’s behaviour.
Subsequently, they can make choices about how to react to them based on these inferences.
What is Personality?
Personality includes a person temperament along with other aspects such as emotions and cognitive capabilities. All these factors together make an individual’s personality.
However, it can be affected by several things. These may include biological, environmental, and even psychological factors. People can even evolve their personalities based on interactions with others.
It is relatively easier for personalities to change as compared to temperament. IT is not permanent at all, and in most cases is constantly evolving through experiences.
Essentially, a personality is all about the content of reactions that an individual has for various situations.
Throughout history, various tests have been invented to determine the personality of a person. These tests have been greatly influenced by philosophers and psychologists including Sigmund Freud, Carl Rogers, Hans Eysenck and even Alfred Adler.
However, it is debatable whether these tests provide accurate results since personality is a complex concept. Like temperament, a person can understand the personality of an individual or child through tests or even observations.
Subsequently, they can choose to react to personalities in a certain way, so as to minimize the chances of a conflict.
Interestingly, many reality TV shows nowadays include people with different personalities so that there are more chances of a conflict. This somehow seems to be more entertaining for the masses.
Main Differences Between Temperament and Personality
- Temperament refers to the style, patterns, and intensity of the behaviour of a person whereas personality refers to the patterns of behaviour, emotions, and cognition that a person exhibits.
- Temperament revolves around reactions and sensitivity whereas personality revolves around the content of the reactions.
- Temperament is inherited whereas personality is acquired.
- Temperament is only influenced by biological factors whereas personality is influenced by environments, interactions, and even biological factors.
- Temperament is permanent and cannot be modified whereas personality is not permanent and can be modified.
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1958-01355-000
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00505.x
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
