PHYSIOLOGICAL BASES OF EMOTION REGULATION IN YOUNG CHILDREN LIVING IN LOW-INCOME, RURAL COMMUNITIES
Open Access
- Author:
- Voegtline, Kristin M
- Graduate Program:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- July 13, 2010
- Committee Members:
- Cynthia Stifter, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Cynthia Stifter, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Clancy B Blair, Committee Member
Lisa Michelle Kopp, Committee Member
Michelle Lynn Frisco, Committee Member - Keywords:
- autonomic nervous system
emotion regulation
low-income
infancy - Abstract:
- The expression and regulation of emotion at the behavioral level are functionally dependent on physiological state, and an increasing number of studies have examined physiology-behavior associations to identify precursors for childhood psychopathology. This dissertation advances the literature on autonomic nervous system (ANS) development in infancy and toddlerhood and ANS-behavior associations by investigating patterns of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity with a latent profile modeling approach, at a single measurement occasion and over time, and the prediction of emotion regulation and early childhood behavior problems by ANS profile. In addition, predictors of ANS profiles were examined, including features of the early social environment and prenatal cigarette use. Data was drawn from the Family Life Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of children and families living in low-income, non-urban communities. Study 1 explored latent profiles of autonomic nervous system functioning indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) in children ages 7-, 15-, and 24-months, and the relationship of ANS profile at each measurement occasion with concurrent emotion regulation behavior (7-month n=325; 15-month n=341; 24-month n=330). A three profile solution of child ANS activity, indicated by baseline RSA, RSA suppression, and baseline sAA, was supported at 7- and 15-months of age. At 7-months, children in the “coactivation” profile showed a greater proportion of self-soothing behavior during a fear- and frustration-eliciting task in comparison to children in the “PNS inhibition” and “PNS activation” profiles. At 15-months, children in the “SNS activation” profile showed a greater proportion of attention regulation behavior during a fear-eliciting task in comparison to children in the “PNS activation” or “Average” profiles. There was no evidence for multiple ANS profiles at 24-months of age. Study 2 investigated longitudinal latent profiles of RSA and sAA across 7-, 15-, and 24-months, the prediction of longitudinal profiles by social advantage, income, geographic isolation, and maternal parenting behavior, and differences in 3-year problem behavior by longitudinal profile (n=309). Four longitudinal ANS profiles represented the optimal solution to describe patterns of RSA and sAA development from 7- to 24-months of age. Membership in the longitudinal profiles was predicted by social advantage, and contrary to expectations, not significantly predicted by maternal parenting behavior. Further, membership in Profile 2, a longitudinal pattern of average increasing RSA and average increasing sAA from 7- to 15-months, but deviated from the overall sample pattern from 15- to 24-months showing minimal increase in sAA predicted 3-year total behavior problems and emotional symptoms in comparison to the other longitudinal profiles. Study 3 examined the prediction of latent physiological profiles of RSA, sAA, and L-HPA activity at 7-months by prenatal exposure to cigarette smoking, and sex differences in the probability of smoking in each of the physiological profiles (n=144, 72 children of prenatal smokers). A two profile solution for child RSA, sAA, and L-HPA activity was supported at 7-months of age. Children exposed to cigarette smoking prenatally had significantly increased odds of being classified in the “ANS coinhibition, L-HPA non-reactor profile” in comparison to the “ANS coactivation, L-HPA reactor” profile. Further, the probability of being in the prenatal exposure smoking group and classified as a member of the “ANS coinhibition, L-HPA non-reactor” profile was higher for males than females; however the odds ratio test was not significant. In conclusion, the findings across the three studies from this dissertation highlight the advantage of a latent profile approach for exploring patterns of multi-system physiological response dynamics of the PNS and SNS, and ANS profile-behavior associations.