Goodness of Fit

Goodness of fit in the literature of human development refers to the compatibility of a person’s temperament with his or her environmental conditions. The concept was first proposed in 1977 by Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess in their study of children’s temperamental characteristics, family environments, and behavioral problems. According to Thomas and Chess, temperament is concerned with individual characteristics in response to external and internal stimuli, such as positive versus negative mood, intensity of reaction, and regularity of body activities.

Three types of children can be identified, based on specific characteristics: easy children, difficult children, and slow-to-warm-up children. Whereas easy children display a positive mood, regular patterns of activities, moderate intensity of reaction, and high adaptability, difficult children are characterized by negative mood, irregular function, high ...