Childhood Skill Acquisition

[Ginny]

I was wondering today: is there a correlation between the personality type and the speed at which the individual child acquires skills like walking, reading and so on?

I don't have anything to go on but my experiences. For instance, my mother told me that I was already walking at ten months, and I know I taught myself to read at the age of four. So I wanted to ask you: what were your experiences, skills that you learned sooner than the average toddler/child? And do you think that it has to do with the personality type or the individual upbringing? The latter just seemed unlikely because I wasn't told or taught by someone else...

 

[Fidicen]

I also learned to read at the age of four. I've been told that from quite an early age I liked to play in my room alone, so introversion might have been a factor increasing the likelihood that I would browse books instead of running after ants. It's hard to say because there must be countless things contributing to how fast certain skills develop, including genetics.

I'd say at a young age both upbringing and genetic components are more influential than personality, although there's of course some evidence that certain aspects of personality (like introversion) are also genetic. But of course as the personality develops, behaviour patterns often become more fixed in ways that go far beyond instinctual impulses. The influence of particular genes also keeps changing as the child grows up, so in research it's difficult to determine the causes and the effects. Maybe looking at infants and toddlers (compared to adults) it's even more difficult to say where the personality starts and the influence of other factors ends.

 

[Ginny]

Genetics is interesting, especially seen in combination with psychology. If I didn't have my reservations about experiments on children I'd say it would be a nice thing to do research on.

But to be honest, I don't know (about the reading part) how upbringing could have influenced me. I wasn't allowed to look at the reading stuff my sister brought home from school, so I stole them for my secret perusal. Obviously I got caught, proved my reading ability (back then we still had those TV programme magazines) and next thing I know I was put into school a year early.

Out of the three influences (genetics, upbringing and personality) the latter bears a much more stable theory. You could be more prone to exhibit a certain kind of behaviour, but eventually it must have been a choice. There are multiple examples for genetics and upbrining having an influence on the personality, but there are equally examples against that influence. D'you know what I mean? Of course, I might just be reasoning myself into this (how philosophical of me) but there must be something that is there before it can be tainted by any influence, which is part of the individual's personality, some kind of willpower or instinct or curiosity.

Curiosity... I think I have another idea. Obviously I must have been interested in whatever that reading stuff was before I was forbidden to take it. But the prohobition gave me additional incentive to do it. Learning by myself, I must have used Ni to decipher the pattern of letters and words in reference to the sounds and words that I had already learnt by hearing. Thus, it may have been the other way around, that the learning process had an influence on the personality. Although, there must have been some attitude (personality trait?) that triggered the theft.

What do you think?

 

[Fidicen]

Well yes, I can't really say this way or that. Personality, genes, upbringing, it's all a big mess in the sense that all of these have varying effects and I'm not enough of an expert although I've studied some psychology (not as a major).

It's interesting that you decided to learn to read despite reading material being forbidden (I can't imagine why). For me it was never a conscious decision, so maybe that's why it's easier to say that in my case the question of personality is uncertain. One day I was just browsing some reading material when something changed very suddenly, and I read my first word, slowly, but then I was immediately able to read everything. I hadn't even been taught the alphabet at that age. But I do remember I had a favourite story book, like most children, and I knew the story by heart. I must have looked at the book so many times while it was read to me that I simply learned the meaning of the letters and words without a conscious effort. I have no idea what personality functions would be involved in that situation. But I do think that learning to read had a huge effect on my personality, opening up a world that other kids my age didn't know.

Anyway, some MBTI theorists say that the personality type develops very slowly so that up until puberty it's mainly the dominant function that's developing, So from that viewpoint the question would really be about the influence of introverted intuition in INFJ development.

 

[Ginny]

despite reading material being forbidden (I can't imagine why).

It wasn't exactly forbidden in general. It's not like my mum wanted to hinder me to learn something. It was just the reading material my sister got copied from school. I think it was so I don't misplace it because it wasn't mine. I was, and still am, quite messy.

Anyway, some MBTI theorists say that the personality type develops very slowly so that up until puberty it's mainly the dominant function that's developing, So from that viewpoint the question would really be about the influence of introverted intuition in INFJ development.

I have read this (http://personalityjunkie.com/the-infj/) on function development. It only says "Childhood", and doesn't specify on age. But what is written there reminds me already of how my report in first grade looked. Plus the fact that I was told I was fixated on my mum and didn't like my father or his family. Quite rightly, as it turned out a decade later.

 

[Reason]

skills that you learned sooner than the average toddler/child? And do you think that it has to do with the personality type or the individual upbringing?

I knew the whole alphabet and how to read before my first day of kindergarten. No idea if it's an INTP thing or if i was taught.

 

[Ginny]

I knew the whole alphabet and how to read before my first day of kindergarten. No idea if it's an INTP thing or if i was taught.

Depends on when you got into kindergarten. How can you even be so sure?

 

[Reason]

Depends on when you got into kindergarten. How can you even be so sure?

Age 5, and i remember being able to read everything once i was there and being perplexed as to why the other kids didn't know how to read or in many cases didn't know it well.

I have one specific memory also of the teacher having an emotional breakdown because later in the school year she posed the problem 2+3=?
and got so frustrated she almost started crying because no one knew the answer. I gave the answer, 23 of course, and she thanked me after class for some reason (?) so i think i knew math when i got there too but my memory before arriving at kindergarten is hopelessly fuzzy.

 

[Ginny]

Age 5, and i remember being able to read everything once i was there and being perplexed as to why the other kids didn't know how to read or in many cases didn't know it well.

I have one specific memory also of the teacher having an emotional breakdown because later in the school year she posed the problem 2+3=?
and got so frustrated she almost started crying because no one knew the answer. I gave the answer, 23 of course, and she thanked me after class for some reason (?) so i think i knew math when i got there too but my memory before arriving at kindergarten is hopelessly fuzzy.

I was almost worried you were a genius

I was 5 too, that's why I got into school the next year. Kindergarten at 5 sounds late, I was 4 and I was late.

That math problem is stupid. I would have said the answer was 5.

 

[Reason]

10
Diez
Zhen
Ten
X

 

[Ginny]

10
Diez
Zhen
Ten
X

What about it?

 

[Oceano]

My mom read to my brother and I all the time when we were little. He read at 3 and I read at 4. I always loved to read. I always read biographies because I was incredibly interested in how others people lived. I also got interested in esp. When I was 12 I read Freud's Interpretation of Dreams which was totally amazing. I knew then what I going to do with my life. I used to read Psychology text books for fun.