Differential Susceptibility and Kindergarten Peer Status

This study examined the interaction of infant inhibited temperament and maternal personality to predict peer relations in kindergarten. While the literature is abundant with goodness of fit models, these models typically use parenting practices rather than parent personality to explore interactions with infant temperament. This research addresses the assumed relation between personality and temperament that is missing in the current literature. Based on the differential susceptibility hypothesis, inhibited infants were hypothesized to be more affected by maternal personality than infants who were less inhibited. Using longitudinal data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, mothers and kindergarten teachers provided information on 986 children. Maternal agreeableness and education positively predicted children’s peer status. The differential susceptibility hypothesis was partially supported, as less adaptable infants were more affected by both positive and by negative factors than infants with high adaptability.