幼兒氣質類型的發展與轉變──兼論親職教養與性別影響：KIT的實徵研究

Abstract

幼兒氣質作為人格發展的生物學基石，其早期發展路徑對個體長期適應具有深遠影響。然而，此發展過程並非單一軌跡，而是先天特質與後天教養環境動態交易的複雜結果。特別是在華人文化脈絡下，源於西方的「父母正向回應教養」與「本土文化教養信念（教）」如何共同作用，以及幼兒性別在其中扮演的角色，仍是尚待釐清的理論缺口。為此，本研究旨在建立一個整合性的縱貫發展模型，以辨識臺灣幼兒氣質的異質性發展類型，並深入剖析不同文化特殊性教養，以及幼兒性別，如何共同預測這些發展路徑的動態轉變。為達成此目的，本研究採用以個體為中心的縱貫性分析方法，並運用「臺灣幼兒發展調查資料庫」（KIT）的全國代表性數據，對5,295名幼兒進行分析。首先，本研究透過潛在剖面分析（LPA），在12、24及36月齡三個時間點，一致地辨識出三種具理論意義的氣質剖面：「退縮溫吞型」、「適應中間型」與「外向自控型」。為克服傳統潛在轉移分析無法區分穩定「特質」（trait）與真實「狀態」（state）轉變的限制，本研究進一步採用隨機截距潛在轉移分析（RI-LTA），以更精確地描繪氣質的真實發展動態。結果顯示，幼兒氣質「狀態」的發展呈現兩階段模式：12至24月齡為「大規模重組期」，展現高度可塑性，尤其多數「退縮溫吞狀態」幼兒轉向了更具適應性的「適應中間狀態」；24至36月齡則進入「鞏固整合期」，各狀態穩定性顯著提升，「適應中間狀態」成為主要的穩定發展歸屬。在預測因子部分，本研究釐清了性別與教養的雙重作用。在穩定的氣質「特質」層面，幼兒性別是「奮力控制」（effortful control）的顯著預測因子，女童在該特質上的得分顯著高於男童。在動態的氣質「狀態」層面，父母的「正向回應」扮演關鍵的雙重角色：它不僅是保護因子，能顯著降低幼兒處於「退縮溫吞狀態」的比例，更是促進因子，能有效提升其發展為「外向自控狀態」的機率。而具文化特殊性的「華人特質教養—教」，則主要扮演保護因子的角色，透過提供外部結構與指導，同樣能顯著降低幼兒處於「退縮溫吞狀態」的比例。總結而言，本研究的發現支持幼兒氣質發展並非預先決定的線性過程，而是個體穩定的生物學特質（性別）與家庭教養環境（不同文化特殊性實踐）在動態交易中共同塑造的結果。Early childhood temperament, the biological foundation of personality, profoundly influences long-term adaptation. This developmental process, however, is not a monolithic trajectory but a complex transaction between innate predispositions and the caregiving environment. A key theoretical gap, particularly within Chinese cultural contexts, is understanding how universal parenting practices (e.g., positive responsiveness) and culturally specific approaches (e.g., jiao, or training) jointly operate, and the role child gender plays within this dynamic. The present study, therefore, aims to construct an integrative longitudinal model to identify heterogeneous temperament profiles among Taiwanese toddlers and to thoroughly analyze how universal and culturally specific parenting, along with child gender, collectively predict the dynamic transitions between these developmental pathways. To achieve these aims, this study employs person-centered longitudinal analytic approaches, utilizing nationally representative data from the “Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development& Care” (KIT) to analyze a cohort of 5,295 children. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) is conducted at 12, 24, and 36 months, consistently identifying three theoretically meaningful temperament profiles: “Withdrawn-Inhibited,” “Well-Adapted,” and “Enthusiastic-Responsive.” To overcome the limitation of traditional latent transition analysis in confounding stable “traits” with true “state” changes, this study further employed Random Intercept Latent Transition Analysis (RI-LTA) to more accurately mapthe developmental dynamics of temperament. Results revealed a two-stage developmental pattern for temperament states: from 12 to 24 months, a “massive reorganization phase” characterized by high plasticity, with most children in the “Withdrawn-Inhibited State” transitioning to the more adaptive “Well-Adapted State”; from 24 to 36 months, a “consolidation and integration phase” emerged, with increased stability across all states and the “Well-Adapted State” becoming the predominant developmental outcome.In terms of predictors, this study clarified the dual roles of gender and parenting. At the stable “trait” level, child gender was a significant predictor of effortful control, with girls scoring significantly higher than boys. At the dynamic “state” level, parental positive responsiveness played a key dual role: it served as a protective factor by significantly reducing the risk of children being in the “Withdrawn-Inhibited State,” and as a promotive factor by increasing the likelihood of developing into the “Enthusiastic-Responsive State.” The culturally specific “Chinese-specific parenting - Jiao” primarily functioned as a protective factor, providing external structure and guidance that also significantly reduced the risk of being in the “Withdrawn-Inhibited State.”In summary, the findings support the view that early childhood temperament development is not a predetermined linear process, but rather the result of dynamic transactions between stable biological traits (including gender differences) and the caregiving environment (including both universal and culturally specific practices). This research provides robust empirical evidence for the development of temperament- and gender-based, culturally sensitive parenting interventions.