Which of the following best describes temperament as opposed to personality traits according to the psychodynamic perspective?

• A. Temperament consists of learned patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that develop through social interactions.
• B. Temperament is shaped primarily by unconscious conflicts and defense mechanisms.
• C. Temperament refers to biologically based emotional and behavioral tendencies present from early childhood.
• D. Temperament is the result of conscious choices and rational decision-making processes.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key concepts involved—temperament and personality traits—from the psychodynamic perspective. Temperament refers to innate, biologically based tendencies, while personality traits often develop through experience and interaction.
2. Step 2: Recognize that the psychodynamic perspective emphasizes unconscious processes, early childhood influences, and innate emotional patterns as foundational to temperament.
3. Step 3: Analyze each option by comparing it to the psychodynamic view: learned patterns relate more to personality traits, unconscious conflicts relate to psychodynamic mechanisms but not directly to temperament, and conscious choices are less emphasized in this perspective.
4. Step 4: Identify that temperament is best described as biologically based emotional and behavioral tendencies present from early childhood, aligning with the psychodynamic emphasis on innate factors.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct description of temperament, according to the psychodynamic perspective, highlights its biological and early developmental origins rather than learned or conscious processes.