• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.163-176
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• 2002

Objectives：This study was designed to investigate the temperamental characteristics and the differences of temperamental characteristics in Korean children according to the sociodemographic and family environment factors using Toddler Temperament Scale(TTS). Methods：The samples consisted of 1,175 children who were attending twenty-five Samsung Child Care Centers nationwide. Both Korean version of TTS and child developmental questionnaire(designed by the Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center) were distributed to the parents of these children. Score of 9 temperamental categories was determined using the result of TTS, and determination of 5 temperamental clusters was conducted by the Fullard's criteria. Statistical analyses were performed according to the sex, birth order, existence of siblings, residential city, residential province, marital state of child's parents, and parental relationship to compare the scores of temperamental categories and the distribution of temperamental clusters. Results：The distribution of temperamental clusters was as follows；Easy 35.8%, Intermediate Low (IL) 33.1%, Intermediate High(IH) 11.1%, Slow-To-Warm-Up 6.3%, and Difficult 13.6%. Some of 9 temperamental categories were statistically different according to the sex, birth order, existence of siblings, residential city, residental province, marital state of child's parents, and parental relationship. From the viewpoint of 5 temperamental clusters, there were statistically more Easy and less Difficult children in good relation between each parent(p=.022). In spite of no statistical significance, the children in conditions of first-born, non-existence of siblings, middle or small residential city, Chung-Cheong province, married state of parent had a tendency to be easier to care. Conclusions：The toddler temperamental characteristics of Korean children showed some differences in several sociodemographic and family environment factors. We could confirm that the 'Goodness of Fit' was very important in child temperament.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to compare the family environment and developmental history of three groups of children classified by their temperament. The parents of 484 Korean children aged between 3 and 7 years completed the Korean version of Parental Temperamental Questionnaire developed by Thomas and Chess and Developmental Questionnaire created by Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center. After clustering these children into 5 temperamental groups according to the method proposed by Fullard et al, 98 Easy, 36 Difficult, and 21 Slow-To-Warm-Up children were included in the analysis. Statistically meaningful differences observed among three groups were as follow：1) Marital conflict of parents was more frequent in Difficult and Slow-To-Warm-Up children than in Easy children. 2) Parentchild conflict was more frequent in Difficult children than in Easy children. 3) Conflict among siblings was more frequent in Difficult children than in Easy children. 4) Average monthly income of family was less in Difficult children than in Easy children. 5) Toilet training was achieved later in Difficult children than in Easy children. 6) Motor development was slower, between 2 and 5 years old, in Slow-To-Warm-Up children than in Easy children. 7) Fear of stranger started earlier in Slow-To-Warm-Up children than in easy children. 8) Physical health was poorer in Difficult and Slow-To-Warm-Up children than in easy children. The findings indicate that Difficult child or Slow-To-Warm-Up child group have unfavorable family environment, different developmental milestone and poorer physical health in comparison with Easy child group.