Temperament as a Regulator of Behavior

Nature or nurture? Are individuals born as an empty slate or are we already programmed to react in certain ways? Jan Strelau has spent more than fifty years studying this question. He bases some of his conclusions on the work of the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov but carries them into the twenty-first century by including genetic studies.

A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2008 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? Strelau (emeritus, psychology, Warsaw University; since 1998 professor at the Warsaw School of Social Psychology) 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 Reference and Research Book News . . . “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 From the reviews . . . “Jan Strelau chronicles his courageous 50-year-long investigation of temperament . . . culminating in . . . the regulative theory of temperament. . . . Strelau’s focus on the regulative aspect of temperament offers important insights for further research to advance our understanding of how temperament affects our actions, especially in stressful circumstances.” Patricia T. Ashton in PsycCRITIQUES “The importance of Strelau’s research . . . makes this book indispensable. . . . Strelau has managed the rare achievement of bequeathing a theory of which not only he and his students, collaborators, and disciples can be proud, but indeed the entire field of differential psychology.” K. V. Petrides in Personality and Individual Differences “[A]n impressive and powerful book . . . . Strelau . . . has avoided the temptation to temper and alter his theory as psychology has waxed and waned with theories of personality . . . . This is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the discipline and/or working in the arena of personality psychology.” Prepublication praise . . . “In this exciting new book, Jan Strelau continues to carry on the tradition begun by Ivan Pavlov on temperament. Strelau’s writing and the important research described in the book illuminate our understanding of temperament and show us how to apply this understanding to our work and life. Highly recommended to all in the areas of temperament, personality, and individual differences.” Mary K. Rothbart, University of Oregon “Jan Strelau’s book is of considerable importance to all scientists who study the biological and behavioral bases of individual differences in temperament. His Regulative Theory of Temperament and the resulting FCB-TI for assessing temperament provide a rich and dynamic framework for the study of temperament.” Donald H. Saklofske, University of Calgary

Introduction Chapter 1. Experiments on the diagnosis of the basic properties of the nervous system as Pavlov understood them: The forerunners of the Regulative Theory of Temperament Chapter 2. Diagnosis of the basic properties of the nervous system by means of questionnaires Chapter 3. An outline of the Regulative Theory of Temperament and the first stage of research on the functional role of temperament Chapter 4. The Regulative Theory of Temperament: A theoretical framework for temperament research at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries Chapter 5. The structure of temperament and a psychometric instrument with which to measure it Chapter 6. Temperament as a moderator of stressful phenomena Chapter 7. Temperament and extreme stress Chapter 8. Research based on the behavior genetic paradigm conducted within the framework of the Regulative Theory of Temperament Postscript References Index

• By (author) Jan Strelau

"Jan Strelau chronicles his courageous 50-year-long investigation of temperament . . . culminating in . . . the regulative theory of temperament. . . . Strelau's focus on the regulative aspect of temperament offers important insights for further research to advance our understanding of how temperament affects our actions, especially in stressful circumstances." Patricia T. Ashton in PsycCRITIQUES "The importance of Strelau's research . . . makes this book indispensable. . . . Strelau has managed the rare achievement of bequeathing a theory of which not only he and his students, collaborators, and disciples can be proud, but indeed the entire field of differential psychology." K. V. Petrides in Personality and Individual Differences Prepublication praise "In this exciting new book, Jan Strelau continues to carry on the tradition begun by Ivan Pavlov on temperament. Strelau's writing and the important research described in the book illuminate our understanding of temperament and show us how to apply this understanding to our work and life. Highly recommended to all in the areas of temperament, personality, and individual differences." Mary K. Rothbart, University of Oregon "Jan Strelau's book is of considerable importance to all scientists who study the biological and behavioral bases of individual differences in temperament. His Regulative Theory of Temperament and the resulting FCB-TI for assessing temperament provide a rich and dynamic framework for the study of temperament." Donald H. Saklofske, University of Calgary
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