Variable- and person-centered approaches to examining temperament vulnerability and resilience to the effects of contextual risk

•Temperament appears to moderate, as opposed to mediate, effects of risk on adjustment outcomes in preschool-age children.•A person-centered approach points to the potential simultaneous impact of multiple temperament dimensions.•High frustration, low fear and low delay ability contribute to vulnerability to risk exposure.•Evidence supports diathesis-stress and vulnerability models.