Final answer:
The term for a child’s pattern of mood, activity, or emotional responsiveness linked to later personality is temperament. It has a biological basis and shapes how a child interacts with their environment and regulates their emotions. Temperament affects psychosocial development and attachment forming during infancy and beyond.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes a child’s pattern of mood, activity, or emotional responsiveness linked to later personality is temperament. Temperament is considered to have a biological basis and appears early in life, with newborns displaying easy, difficult, or slow-to-warm-up temperamental traits as per the work of Thomas and Chess (1977). Moreover, temperament is an inborn, genetically based personality difference that manifests as characteristic ways of behaving, impacting how one interacts and adapts to their environment.
Children with easy temperaments tend to have positive emotions, adapt well to changes, and are generally capable of regulating their emotions. On the other hand, children with difficult temperaments are more prone to displaying negative emotions, have challenges adapting to change, and may struggle with emotional regulation. These innate traits can influence parenting and the child's latter social and emotional development, including attachment and psychosocial development.