PATTERNS OF ADRENOCORTICAL REACTIVITY AND RECOVERY TO EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: RELATIONS TO CHILD TEMPERAMENT AND PARENTING QUALITY

Open Access
- Author:
- Fortunato, Christine Karen
- Graduate Program:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- Drs Lisa Gatzke Kopp & Douglas Granger, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Douglas Michael Teti, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Douglas A Granger, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- temperament
infant
cortisol
maternal sensitivity - Abstract:
- Research suggests that different patterns of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity across childhood and adolescence are associated with disparate developmental outcomes (e.g., Gunnar& Donzella, 2002; Granger et al., 1996). This longitudinal study examined how children’s temperamental characteristics and maternal parenting qualities were associated with stable and dampening (i.e., cortisol reactivity to stressors in infancy but not toddlerhood) patterns in children’s cortisol reactivity and recovery. The sample (n=547 mother-infant dyads) was ethnically diverse and included predominantly, low-income families from rural communities. Children’s saliva was sampled before and after emotion eliciting, challenge tasks. The children’s behavioral reactivity was coded and saliva was assayed for cortisol. Results revealed that children who exhibited frustration during infancy and fearfulness during toddlerhood were more likely to show dampening cortisol reactivity than no reactivity or hyporeactivity (consistent NON-reactivity) across early childhood. Alternatively, children who showed fearfulness during infancy and toddlerhood were more likely to demonstrate consistent cortisol reactivity than dampening reactivity and consistent NON-reactivity. Furthermore, infants who had highly engaged mothers had a greater tendency to exhibit dampening cortisol reactivity than consistent cortisol reactivity and NON-reactivity. Finally, children with positively engaging mothers at infancy and toddlerhood were more likely to demonstrate consistent HPA reactivity with immediate versus delayed cortisol recovery. In contrast, toddlers with negatively engaging mothers were more likely to have delayed versus immediate cortisol recovery. The findings are consistent with the theory of allostatic load (e.g., McEwen, 1998), and suggest that our understanding of how HPA reactivity and recovery influences child development may be advanced by differentiating inter- and intra-individual differences across time.