Jan Strelau
Encyclopedia
Jan Strelau is a Polish psychologist best known for his studies on temperament
. He was professor of psychology at Warsaw University from 1968 to 2001 and is since 2001 professor at Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities
, where he takes the position of Vice-rector for Research.
Strelau’s research concentrates since several decades on temperament
and its functional significance in human adaptation, especially under extreme conditions (stressors) and as a factor influencing behavior disorders. He transferred Ivan Pavlov
’s concepts of higher nervous system
properties such as strength of excitation, strength of inhibition and mobility of nervous processes into psychological constructs (traits) to be measured since the 1970th by the Strelau Temperament Inventory (STI) and beginning from 1999 by the Pavlovian Temperament Survey (PTS) – an inventory constructed by Strelau, Angleitner and Newberry. Both inventories have been adapted to over a dozen of language versions.
Strelau is author of the Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT) that concentrates on formal aspects of behavior comprising energetic and temporal characteristics composed of such traits as: sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, endurance and activity (energetic aspect), briskness and perseveration (temporal aspect). The Formal Characteristics of Behavior – Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), developed by Strelau and Bogdan Zawadzki and adapted to many language versions allows for measuring these traits. A lot of empirical evidence
has been collected by Strelau and his collaborators demonstrating that heritability
explains about 40 percent of the variance in RTT temperament
traits. In many studies, conducted among others on victims of disasters and catastrophes it came out that such traits as emotional reactivity, perseveration and activity are significant moderators of psychological consequences (e.g. PTSD) of experienced trauma
.
Strelau, in cooperation with Alois Angleitner from the University of Bielefeld, was the first researcher who introduced behavior genetic studies in Poland
, extended during the last decade by one of his disciples, Włodzimierz Oniszczenko, and by Wojciech Dragan to molecular genetics
centered on studying the genetic background of temperament
traits as defined by RTT
.
Strelau was the founder and head of the Department of Psychology of Individual Differences and of the Interdisciplinary Center for Behavior-Genetic Research at Warsaw University. He has been first president of the European Association of Personality Psychology and president of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences
. He was Vice-president of the International Union of Psychological Science.
He is member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
, Academia Europaea
and foreign member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences. He gained honorary degree
s (Dr.h.c.) of University of Gdańsk, University of Poznań and State University of Humanistic Sciences in Moscow. In 2000 he was awarded with a Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science (regarded as the “Polish Nobel Prize”).
Jan Strelau published about 250 scientific articles in the field of psychology
of individual differences and is author or editor of 42 books.
Temperament
In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion, that are often regarded as innate rather than learned...
. He was professor of psychology at Warsaw University from 1968 to 2001 and is since 2001 professor at Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities
Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities
The Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities is the private university in Poland. Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities was founded in 1996 by Andrzej Eliasz, Zbigniew Pietrasiński and Janusz Reykowski, former professors of the Institute of Psychology at the Polish Academy of...
, where he takes the position of Vice-rector for Research.
Strelau’s research concentrates since several decades on temperament
Temperament
In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion, that are often regarded as innate rather than learned...
and its functional significance in human adaptation, especially under extreme conditions (stressors) and as a factor influencing behavior disorders. He transferred Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was a famous Russian physiologist. Although he made significant contributions to psychology, he was not in fact a psychologist himself but was a mathematician and actually had strong distaste for the field....
’s concepts of higher nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
properties such as strength of excitation, strength of inhibition and mobility of nervous processes into psychological constructs (traits) to be measured since the 1970th by the Strelau Temperament Inventory (STI) and beginning from 1999 by the Pavlovian Temperament Survey (PTS) – an inventory constructed by Strelau, Angleitner and Newberry. Both inventories have been adapted to over a dozen of language versions.
Strelau is author of the Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT) that concentrates on formal aspects of behavior comprising energetic and temporal characteristics composed of such traits as: sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, endurance and activity (energetic aspect), briskness and perseveration (temporal aspect). The Formal Characteristics of Behavior – Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), developed by Strelau and Bogdan Zawadzki and adapted to many language versions allows for measuring these traits. A lot of empirical evidence
Empirical research
Empirical research is a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empirical evidence can be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively...
has been collected by Strelau and his collaborators demonstrating that heritability
Heritability
The Heritability of a population is the proportion of observable differences between individuals that is due to genetic differences. Factors including genetics, environment and random chance can all contribute to the variation between individuals in their observable characteristics...
explains about 40 percent of the variance in RTT temperament
Temperament
In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion, that are often regarded as innate rather than learned...
traits. In many studies, conducted among others on victims of disasters and catastrophes it came out that such traits as emotional reactivity, perseveration and activity are significant moderators of psychological consequences (e.g. PTSD) of experienced trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
.
Strelau, in cooperation with Alois Angleitner from the University of Bielefeld, was the first researcher who introduced behavior genetic studies in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, extended during the last decade by one of his disciples, Włodzimierz Oniszczenko, and by Wojciech Dragan to molecular genetics
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
centered on studying the genetic background of temperament
Temperament
In psychology, temperament refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion, that are often regarded as innate rather than learned...
traits as defined by RTT
RTT
RTT may be:Computing* Real-time text, streaming conversational text that is sent as it is typed/produced.* Real-time Timer, Timer in computer hardware used by the operation system...
.
Strelau was the founder and head of the Department of Psychology of Individual Differences and of the Interdisciplinary Center for Behavior-Genetic Research at Warsaw University. He has been first president of the European Association of Personality Psychology and president of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences
International Society for the Study of Individual Differences
The International Society for the Study of Individual Differences is a scientific society founded in 1983 that fosters research on the measurement, structure, dynamics and biological bases of individual differences in temperament, intelligence, attitudes, and abilities...
. He was Vice-president of the International Union of Psychological Science.
He is member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Warsaw, is one of two Polish institutions having the nature of an academy of sciences.-History:...
, Academia Europaea
Academia Europaea
Academia Europæa is a European non-governmental scientific academy founded in 1988. Its members are scientists and scholars who collectively aim to promote learning, education and research. It publishes European Review through Cambridge Journals....
and foreign member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences. He gained honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s (Dr.h.c.) of University of Gdańsk, University of Poznań and State University of Humanistic Sciences in Moscow. In 2000 he was awarded with a Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science (regarded as the “Polish Nobel Prize”).
Jan Strelau published about 250 scientific articles in the field of psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
of individual differences and is author or editor of 42 books.
Selected publications
- Temperament, personality, activity (1983)
- Temperament: A psychological perspective (1998)
- The Pavlovian Temperament Survey (PTS): An international handbook (1999) with A. Angleitner and B. H. Newberry
- Temperament as a regulator of behavior: After fifty years of research (2008)
- Temperamental bases of behavior: Warsaw studies on individual differences (1985) editor
- The biological bases of personality and behavior: Theories, measurement techniques, and development, vol. 1 (1985) editor, with F. H. Farley and A. Gale
- The biological bases of personality and behavior: Psychophysiology, performance, and application, vol. 2 (1986) editor, with F. H. Farley and A. Gale
- Personality dimensions and arousal (1987) editor, with H. J. Eysenck
- Explorations in temperament: International perspectives on theory and measurement (1991) editor, with A. Angleitner
- People under extreme stress: An individual differences approach (2006) editor, with T. Klonowicz
- Temperament as a regulator of behavior: After fifty years of research (2008) Clinton Corners, NY: Eliot Werner Publications.