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Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery
Goal/Objective:
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goal in developing Lab-TAB is to make available a standardized instrument for
laboratory assessment of early temperament.
Lab-TAB comprises a set of 3-5 minute episodes that simulate everyday
situations in which one can reliably observe individual differences in the
expression of emotion, in approach/avoidance and other instrumental behavior, in
activity level, and in regulatory aspects of behavior (or temperament).
With the availability of Lab-TAB, it will no longer be necessary to
develop laboratory measures of temperament anew for every study.
Appropriate standardization data on large samples will allow assignment
of more accurate scores rather than relying on standardization in individual
samples. Lab-TAB will also
facilitate comparison of results across studies from different laboratories.
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Theoretical
Orientation:
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An
important issue in temperament research is whether temperament dimensions are
best viewed as types or dimensions. The
underlying conceptualization of Lab-TAB is dimension-oriented, but it is
conceivable that typological characterizations will prove superior.
The current coding systems, which can be examined in detail in the
manuals, are designed with a dimensional conceptualization of individual
difference variability. For
example, facial, vocal and motoric indicators of target discrete emotions are
rated using a combination of both event- and interval-based coding.
Specific dimensions of children's behavior are characterized with a
combination of binary (presence/ absence), ordinal (peak intensity) or ratio
(latency) scales.
Because
the episodes are modeled after everyday situations, they tend to elicit a
variety of emotions in addition to specifically targeted emotions.
For example, although Stranger Approach episodes target fearfulness in
social situations, these episodes also reliably elicit sadness reactions.
As can be seen from a detailed examination of the manuals, some of these
non-target emotions are incorporated into the coding systems.
As
with any observational research, individual researchers can modify both the
coding systems and the situations to best reflect the focused questions of
interest. Examples of modifications
in administration of particular episodes are included in the manuals.
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Versions
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we have three versions of the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery: two
infant versions, one for children who have started to crawl (locomotor) and one
for those who have not (prelocomotor), and a version for preschoolers.
Click below to learn more about each of the manuals, including
descriptions of episodes and modifications.
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History
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The
prelocomotor and locomotor versions of Lab-TAB were conceived and initially
designed by Hill Goldsmith, with the assistance of Loretta Rieser-Danner, while
at the University of Texas-Austin between 1981 and 1984. The present format and
much of the content of these manuals were developed by Goldsmith and Mary K.
Rothbart, and Goldsmith's students at the University of Oregon, beginning in
1985. Some episodes had a direct history of prior usage in laboratories of
Goldsmith, Rothbart, and Joseph J. Campos. Some episodes were more indirectly
derived from procedures in use in other developmental laboratories.
Constructing
the preschool version of Lab-TAB was a collaborative effort of Goldsmith and
Judy Reilly of San Diego State University. Although many episodes were designed
specifically for this battery, others were adopted fairly directly from
procedures used by Jerome Kagan of Harvard University and Grazyna Kochanska of
the University of Iowa. Modifications of the preschool battery by Goldsmith and
Reilly are continuing. Recently, some modifications of the battery for use with
slightly older children, for home administration, and for use with samples at
risk for behavioral disorders have been undertaken by Marilyn Essex of the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and Goldsmith.
Construction
of the various versions of Lab-TAB has been supported by NIMH, The MacArthur
Foundation, and the University of Wisconsin.
The links, below, give brief descriptions of various episodes, under the
subheadings of the target emotions. The
manuals include details pertinent to administration as well as behavioral
coding. The manuals for the
prelocomotor and the locomotor versions can be downloaded readily from the
website. Because the preschool
version is relatively more recent and undergoing more modifications, the manual
cannot be readily downloaded from the website but can be requested via e-mail.
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| Questions? Please see our Lab-TAB
Frequently Asked Questions Page |
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