Journal of Pediatric Care

Keywords

Temperament; Character; Orphans; Sociable

Introduction

Personality characteristic and behavioural patterns of an adult are shaped and moulded by the events occurring during the early years of life [1]. Studied by Strelau and Angleitner procedures that most temperament researchers agree that temperament, whatever the traits and structure to which this concept refers, has a strong biological determination. This assumption has its roots in the facts that temperament characteristics can be observed from the first weeks of life and individual differences in temperamental traits have a strong genetic determination. Studies on Adult orphans began in 18th century and it has been reported that orphan children and adolescents develop a number of negative characteristic like emotional and regulatory disorders instable and inadequate selfesteem [2]. Anxiety and hostility poor skills of self-control and socially acceptable behaviour) distorted identity and family image Most of studies revealed that orphans suffer higher level of psychosocial problems than non-orphans. It has been reported the type of care received after becoming an orphan has significant impact on the development of the orphan

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an orphan is a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents. UNICEF and numerous international organizations adopted the broader definition of orphan in the mid 1990’s and UNICEF statistic showing there are currently 148 million orphans in the world and report by same organisation says there are over 100,000 orphans in Jammu and Kashmir. The absence of parents certainly increases possibilities of psychiatric issues in child, and to understand that this study was planned to understand temperament and character of institutionalized orphans living without family and to understand that following methodology was used [3].

Materials and Methods

Sample

30 orphans were taken from two district of Kashmir valley (Including Srinagar and Baramulla) and they were compared with control group taken from same district with same age and education.

General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-5)

This was used to screen any psychiatric morbidity in nonorphan group. GHQ is a short version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The original GHQ contains 80 items and is effective tool for detection of nonpsychotic illness.

Temperament Character Inventory (TCI)

Inventory is used for assessing the dimension of personality. It contains seven dimensions which includes reward dependence, harm avoidance, novelty seeking, cooperative, persistence, selfdirectedness, and self-transcendence. A total question contains 240 items, which are scored on a two point scale.

Procedure

Sample of 30 orphans was selected from institutional orphan centre after taking proper permission from institutional heads. And non-orphans were selected after comparing with age and education. They were selected after screening by GHQ-5, than their temperament and character were assessed after using of temperament and character inventory [4-6].

Statistical analyses

Analyses were done through statistical package for social science. Descriptive statistic and the test were applied.

Results

Table 1 shows significant difference between orphans and non-orphans in novelty seeking, Harm avoidance, reward dependence and persistence.

Table 1: Mean, SD, SEM and t-value of orphans and control group on the measures temperament and its dimensions (df=58).

Table 2 shows significant difference between orphans and non-orphans in novelty seeking, Harm avoidance, reward dependence and persistence. Mean, SD, SEM and t-value of orphans and control group on the measures character and its dimensions (df=58) [7].

Table 2: Mean, SD, SEM and t-value of orphans and control group on the measures character and its dimensions (df=58).

Discussion

Orphans were found high in novelty seeking and harm avoidance dimensions as compared to non-orphans. This explains that they have approach-avoidance conflicts, manifested by neurotic behaviour with second thought checking initial impulses and by depressed mood because of difficulty in satisfying their simultaneous needs for stimulation and security. On sub dimension of excitability vs stoic rigidity, orphans mean scores were greater than those of non-orphans. This means orphans explored unfamiliar places and situations even if most people think it is a waste of time. Thus, they are sometimes described as sensation seeking. They get excited about new ideas and activities easily, for they tend to seek thrills, excitement and adventures. It was also found on the dimension of Impulsiveness vs reflection (which is sub dimension of novelty seeking) that orphans are more impulsive than non-orphan [8]. Reported that high scores on this sub dimension tend to be excitable, dramatic impressionistic and temperamental individuals who make decisions quickly on incomplete information and control their impulses poorly. They are often distractible and have short spans of attention that is they have difficulties staying focused for a long time so prefer to make quick decisions on incomplete facts.

Higher levels of harm avoidance were found in orphans, which mean that they are cautious, careful, fearful, tense, apprehensive, nervous, timid, doubtful, discouraged, insecure, passive, negative or pessimistic even in situations that do not worry other people. Their energy level tends to be low and they feel chronically tired or easily fatigued. As a consequence, they need more reassurance and encouragement than most people and are unusually sensitive to criticism and punishment. Mean of orphans is more as compared to non-orphans on sub dimension of anticipatory worr y and pessimism vs uninhibited. This means orphans are pessimistic worriers who tend to anticipate harm and failure. This tendency is especially pronounced in hazardous, unfamiliar or realistically difficult situations. In sub dimension of shyness, orphans showed low mean scores as compared to non-orphans. This means orphans are bold, forward and outgoing. They tend to speak without hesitation and readily engaged in social activities.

Orphans are loving, warm, sensitive, dedicated, dependent and sociable, because mean of reward dependence is greater in orphans as compared to control group. A study by Cloninger, et al. described that individuals high in reward dependence tend to be loving and warm, sensitive, dedicated, dependent and sociable. They seek social contact and are open to communication with other people. Typically they find people they like everywhere they go. A major advantage of high reward dependence is the sensitivity to social cues, which facilitates warm social relations and understanding of others feelings. A major disadvantage of high reward dependence involves the ease with which other people can influence the dependent person‘s views and feelings, possibly leading to loss of objectivity [9,10].

High score on the sentimentality sub dimension are described as sympathetic, understanding individuals who tend to be deeply moved by sentimental appeals. Consequently, they tend to show their emotions easily in front of others. They report that they experience vicarious emotions intensely, that is, they personally experience what others around them are feeling. Whereas high in persistence tend to be industrious, hardworking, persistence and stable despite fatigue. They are ready to volunteer when there is something to be done and are eager to start work on any assigned duty. Persistent persons tend to perceive frustration and fatigue as a personal challenge. They do not give up easily and in fact, tend to work extra hard.

Parents disapproval and rejection of experience lead to the reality that the child perceives others as the opposite, feels anxious when in contact and fears rejection. This experience extends to others, and they adopt a cautious attitude toward them. Developmental circumstances in a family don't help satisfy the need to be accepted and overcome the fear of rejection due to the dissociation of a group of children and blurred lines of communication. Teenagers who have never lived with their families are more aggressive than others, which could be a response to the danger and instability of their environment. Adolescents who have lived in facilities since birth are more likely to start destructive conflicts and less likely to cooperate with others. Recording increased levels of hostility in adolescents with no experience of home life, we hear that they tend to attribute negative qualities to other objects and the phenomenon of not having an intimate relationship with an adult. This is as a result of their frustrated social needs and a lack of basic trust in the world.

Conclusion

It can be concluded based on the findings high score on the sentimentality sub dimension are described as sympathetic, understanding individuals who tend to be deeply moved by sentimental appeals. Consequently, they tend to show their emotions easily in front of others. They report that they experience vicarious emotions intensely, that is, they personally experience what others around them are feeling. Whereas high in persistence tend to be industrious, hardworking, persistence and stable despite fatigue. They are ready to volunteer when there is something to be done and are eager to start work on any assigned duty. Persistent persons tend to perceive frustration and fatigue as a personal challenge. They do not give up easily and in fact, tend to work extra hard.

Limitation

Our study should be viewed with the following limitations in mind.

• Sample size was small.

• Sample was taken from two district only

• In addition to the quantitative analyses, use of qualitative method would have added more meaningful information.

• The selection of variables under study was limited to temperament and character.

However, the more covert aspects of behaviour such as emotions, cognition and mind-set etc. may provide a dynamic understanding of personality.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there was no conflict of interests.

Acknowledgement

None

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