The relationship between retrospective reports of early child temperament and adjustment at ages 10-12.

For 131 highly stressed 4th- to 6th-grade urban children, retrospective parental reports of child temperament along an easy-difficult dimension, for the infancy (ages 0-2) and preschool (ages 2-5) periods, were obtained during in-depth interviews. Parent judgments of an easier temperament in each of the two age periods, and their sum, related consistently and significantly to positive ratings of current child adjustment. The latter reflected both multiple sources (i.e., parents, former teachers, and current teachers) and different aspects of adjustment (e.g., fewer problem behaviors and more competencies).