Cortisol and vagal tone responses to competitive challenge in preschoolers: Associations with temperament

Abstract

Sixty‐one 3‐ to 5‐year‐old nursery school children participated in a study of tempera ment and stress responses to competition. Each child individually participated in a competition against a familiar adult experimenter to determine who would win enough games to receive a prize. After initially winning three games (Win Period), the children lost the next three games (Lose Period), before winning the final games and receiving the prize. Salivary cortisol, vagal tone, affect and turn‐taking behavior were measured in response to the competition and examined in relation to child temperament using a teacher‐report version of the Child Behavior Questionnaire. Behavioral measures indicated that the procedures were emotionally engaging and the threat of losing was aversive. Surgency (extroversion) was positively correlated with positive affect during Win periods and tense/angry affect during the Lose period of the competition. Vagal tone decreased as the children began to play against the adult and children who were more tense/angry while losing showed additional suppression of vagal tone when they began to lose the competition. Most of the children did not show a cortisol response to the competition; however, the 15% who increased cortisol (responses >1 SD of classroom baselines) were described by teachers as more surgent and lower in effortful control. All but one of these children who increased in cortisol was male. Cortisol responsive children also displayed higher levels of tense/angry affect during the Lose period. Surgent, extroverted children appear to be vulnerable to competition stress. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 37: 209–220, 2000

Children's stress regulation mediates the association between prenatal maternal mood and child executive functions for boys, but not girls

“…Based partly on the animal literature, researchers have emphasized that it is important to examine potential differential sex effects when investigating relationships between stress reactivity and child outcomes (Spinrad et al, 2009). In line with our findings, Donzella et al (2000) reported that all but one of the children who showed an increase in cortisol in response to a competition were male. These boys were described by teachers as more surgent and lower in effortful control.…”

“…In our sample, a heightened HPA axis reactivity but not a heightened diurnal HPA axis profile was associated with poorer EFs. These findings are mostly in line with a small number of studies with children suggesting that heightened cortisol reactivity and heightened baseline cortisol levels are negatively associated with effortful control and EF performance Donzella, Gunnar, Krueger, & Alwin, 2000;Wagner et al, 2015). In contrast, other studies have found that cortisol reactivity was associated positively with preschoolers' effortful control and EFs (Blair, Granger, & Peters Razza, 2005;Spinrad et al, 2009).…”

Children's stress regulation mediates the association between prenatal maternal mood and child executive functions for boys, but not girls

“…Based partly on the animal literature, researchers have emphasized that it is important to examine potential differential sex effects when investigating relationships between stress reactivity and child outcomes (Spinrad et al, 2009). In line with our findings, Donzella et al (2000) reported that all but one of the children who showed an increase in cortisol in response to a competition were male. These boys were described by teachers as more surgent and lower in effortful control.…”

“…In our sample, a heightened HPA axis reactivity but not a heightened diurnal HPA axis profile was associated with poorer EFs. These findings are mostly in line with a small number of studies with children suggesting that heightened cortisol reactivity and heightened baseline cortisol levels are negatively associated with effortful control and EF performance Donzella, Gunnar, Krueger, & Alwin, 2000;Wagner et al, 2015). In contrast, other studies have found that cortisol reactivity was associated positively with preschoolers' effortful control and EFs (Blair, Granger, & Peters Razza, 2005;Spinrad et al, 2009).…”

Effortful control and context interact in shaping neuroendocrine stress responses during childhood

“…Our findings linking lower levels of EC (measured at age 3 and age 6) to greater endocrine response to a frustration task are consistent with previous studies linking lower EC to greater cortisol reactivity in response to other frustrating tasks (i.e., a competitive game; Donzella et al, 2000) and in group settings (Dettling et al, 1999; Gunnar et al, 1997). This enhanced HPA response in children with lower EC may result from poor emotion regulatory processes that are uniquely tapped by these types of challenges.…”

Relations between temperament and theory of mind development in the United States and China: Biological and behavioral correlates of preschoolers' false-belief understanding.

“…In the U.S. sample, note that there was more limited variability in two of the focal temperament variables: HPA-axis reactivity and withdrawal. Initial zero-order correlations including data from both the United States and China indicated that our measure of HPA-axis reactivity was positively associated with parental ratings of children's physical aggression ( r = .26, p < .01) and negatively associated with ratings of behavioral inhibition ( r = –.28, p < .05), relations consistent with prior findings (e.g., Donzella et al, 2000; Gunnar et al, 1997; Lopez-Duran et al, 2009; Murray-Close et al, 2008). This validates that our measure of physiological reactivity is predictive of children's everyday reactive behavior.…”

Children's stress regulation mediates the association between prenatal maternal mood and child executive functions for boys, but not girls

“…Based partly on the animal literature, researchers have emphasized that it is important to examine potential differential sex effects when investigating relationships between stress reactivity and child outcomes (Spinrad et al, 2009). In line with our findings, Donzella et al (2000) reported that all but one of the children who showed an increase in cortisol in response to a competition were male. These boys were described by teachers as more surgent and lower in effortful control.…”

“…In our sample, a heightened HPA axis reactivity but not a heightened diurnal HPA axis profile was associated with poorer EFs. These findings are mostly in line with a small number of studies with children suggesting that heightened cortisol reactivity and heightened baseline cortisol levels are negatively associated with effortful control and EF performance Donzella, Gunnar, Krueger, & Alwin, 2000;Wagner et al, 2015). In contrast, other studies have found that cortisol reactivity was associated positively with preschoolers' effortful control and EFs (Blair, Granger, & Peters Razza, 2005;Spinrad et al, 2009).…”

Effortful control and context interact in shaping neuroendocrine stress responses during childhood

“…Our findings linking lower levels of EC (measured at age 3 and age 6) to greater endocrine response to a frustration task are consistent with previous studies linking lower EC to greater cortisol reactivity in response to other frustrating tasks (i.e., a competitive game; Donzella et al, 2000) and in group settings (Dettling et al, 1999; Gunnar et al, 1997). This enhanced HPA response in children with lower EC may result from poor emotion regulatory processes that are uniquely tapped by these types of challenges.…”

Relations between temperament and theory of mind development in the United States and China: Biological and behavioral correlates of preschoolers' false-belief understanding.

“…In the U.S. sample, note that there was more limited variability in two of the focal temperament variables: HPA-axis reactivity and withdrawal. Initial zero-order correlations including data from both the United States and China indicated that our measure of HPA-axis reactivity was positively associated with parental ratings of children's physical aggression ( r = .26, p < .01) and negatively associated with ratings of behavioral inhibition ( r = –.28, p < .05), relations consistent with prior findings (e.g., Donzella et al, 2000; Gunnar et al, 1997; Lopez-Duran et al, 2009; Murray-Close et al, 2008). This validates that our measure of physiological reactivity is predictive of children's everyday reactive behavior.…”

Children's stress regulation mediates the association between prenatal maternal mood and child executive functions for boys, but not girls

“…Based partly on the animal literature, researchers have emphasized that it is important to examine potential differential sex effects when investigating relationships between stress reactivity and child outcomes (Spinrad et al, 2009). In line with our findings, Donzella et al (2000) reported that all but one of the children who showed an increase in cortisol in response to a competition were male. These boys were described by teachers as more surgent and lower in effortful control.…”

“…In our sample, a heightened HPA axis reactivity but not a heightened diurnal HPA axis profile was associated with poorer EFs. These findings are mostly in line with a small number of studies with children suggesting that heightened cortisol reactivity and heightened baseline cortisol levels are negatively associated with effortful control and EF performance Donzella, Gunnar, Krueger, & Alwin, 2000;Wagner et al, 2015). In contrast, other studies have found that cortisol reactivity was associated positively with preschoolers' effortful control and EFs (Blair, Granger, & Peters Razza, 2005;Spinrad et al, 2009).…”

Effortful control and context interact in shaping neuroendocrine stress responses during childhood

“…Our findings linking lower levels of EC (measured at age 3 and age 6) to greater endocrine response to a frustration task are consistent with previous studies linking lower EC to greater cortisol reactivity in response to other frustrating tasks (i.e., a competitive game; Donzella et al, 2000) and in group settings (Dettling et al, 1999; Gunnar et al, 1997). This enhanced HPA response in children with lower EC may result from poor emotion regulatory processes that are uniquely tapped by these types of challenges.…”

Relations between temperament and theory of mind development in the United States and China: Biological and behavioral correlates of preschoolers' false-belief understanding.

“…In the U.S. sample, note that there was more limited variability in two of the focal temperament variables: HPA-axis reactivity and withdrawal. Initial zero-order correlations including data from both the United States and China indicated that our measure of HPA-axis reactivity was positively associated with parental ratings of children's physical aggression ( r = .26, p < .01) and negatively associated with ratings of behavioral inhibition ( r = –.28, p < .05), relations consistent with prior findings (e.g., Donzella et al, 2000; Gunnar et al, 1997; Lopez-Duran et al, 2009; Murray-Close et al, 2008). This validates that our measure of physiological reactivity is predictive of children's everyday reactive behavior.…”