This study investigates how temperament factors are linked to
internalizing and externalizing problems in a Dutch population sample
of preadolescents (N = 2230). Internalizing and externalizing
problems were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth
Self-Report and temperament was evaluated by the parent-version of the
Revised Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire. Temperament
profiles were examined in children with (a) neither internalizing nor
externalizing problems, (b) only internalizing problems, (c) only
externalizing problems, and (d) both internalizing and externalizing
problems. The results suggest clearly diverging temperament profiles
for these groups of children, with High-Intensity Pleasure and Shyness
(representing the broad dimension of Surgency) steering the conditional
probability of internalizing and externalizing problems (direction
markers), Frustration mainly being related to maladaptation in general
(severity marker), and Fear and Effortful Control being associated with
both the severity and the direction of internalizing and externalizing
problems, respectively. Girls and boys differed in the distribution
across the problem groups, but the associations between temperament and
psychopathology were comparable for both genders.This research is part of the Tracking Adolescents'
Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Participating centers of TRAILS
include various Departments of the University of Groningen, the Erasmus
Medical Center of Rotterdam, the Vrije University of Amsterdam, the
University of Nijmegen, and the Trimbos Institute, The Netherlands.
TRAILS is financially supported by grants from the Netherlands
Organization for Scientific Research (GB-MW 940-38-011, GB-MAG
480-01-006, ZonMw 100-001-001) and the Ministry of Justice (to F.C.V.)
and by the participating centers.