Abstract
D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)
The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether
robust and verifiable evoked potential components exist which
can reliably be associated with temperament. The evoked
potential (EP) procedures included the auditory brainstem
response procedure (ABR), the auditory N1-P2 middle latency
response procedure (AMR) utilising different stimulus intensities,
the auditory P300 response utilising frequent and
rare repetitions of stimuli (the "oddball paradigm" ) and a
number of composite measures of the AMR and P300. The temperament
dimensions which were assessed, were sensation seeking,
measured by Zuckerman's sensation Seeking Scale (SSS)
Form 5, stimulus augmenting-reducing measured by Vando's
Augmenting-reducing scale, properties of the nervous system,
measured by Strelau's Temperament Inventory (STI) and
introversion-extroversion, measured by Schepers' Personality
Questionnaire.
The statistical population chosen for the research was the
first year Behavioural Sciences students of 1991 and 1992 at
a South African university (N = 640). A sample of 391 students
(81 males and 210 females, aged 17 to 22 years) was
randomly selected from the statistical population.
All the Subjects completed the Psychological battery (the
various temperament scales) and the Neurophysiological battery
(the various evoked potential procedures). The
reliabilities of the various scales and procedures were established
prior to administering the batteries.
Hotelling's T-test was used to determine if the vectors of
means of the males and females in respect of the subtests of
the Psychological battery and the measurements of the various
EP procedures differed statistically significantly or not.
Student's t-test was used to determine in respect of which
variables the genders differed. All Subsequent analyses were
performed separately for the males and females. Three contrasting
groups with low, medium and high scores, respectively,
were formed with regard to each temperament trait.