The 9 Elements of Temperament

One way to create and examine your character is to look at his or her temperament. In Griffin's article, Patterns of Behavior, she lists the nine temperaments that are used by psychologists to asses child development. However, instead of focusing on child development, Griffin uses these nine categories to asses her characters.

Below I created an info-graphic to help you visualize the nine temperaments:

(infograph made on easel.ly)

Here are some thought for your character based on the different elements of temperament:

Activity: Energy level
Adaptability: Handling new situations or unexpected events
Distractability: Focus or lack of concentration
Intensity of emotion: Way of expressing emotion and to what degree
Mood: Basic nature such as pessimist or optimist
Persistence: How hard your character perseveres to accomplish something
Physical Rhythms: Sleeping/eating patterns and related everyday rituals
Reactions:  How does your character act around people? How do they react to new things? 
Sensitivity: How easily does your character respond to people or other stimuli?  

References:
Griffin, L. (2009, October). Patterns of behavior: A novelist and family specialist shows you how to put temperament research to work in your fiction. Writer (10), 28-29. Retrieved from http://EBSCO.com