ABSTRACT
Although many different implicit and explicit definitions of temperament have been offered, most researchers agree today that individual differences in temperament refer to relatively enduring aspects of behavioral style that have some constitutional basis (Campos, Barrett, Lamb, Goldsmith, & Stenberg, 1983; Goldsmith & Campos, 1982). Because of the pervasive influence of such stylistic differences, it seems reasonable to ask whether temperamental differences influence Strange Situation behavior. There are, in fact, several ways in which temperament and attachment might be related. Some (e.g., Kagan, 1982) have sought to portray temperamental differences rather than differences in maternal behavior as the major sources of individual differences in Strange Situation behavior, but it is possible for temperament to have a significant effect on Strange Situation behavior without contradicting the attachment theorists’ emphasis on interactional quality as the basis of Strange Situation behavior.
