Infant Stress and Parent Responsiveness: Regulation of Physiology and Behavior During Still‐Face and Reunion

Abstract

This study examined infant response and recovery from a social challenge and parent responses. Behavioral and physiological responses were measured from forty-three 5- and 6-month-olds infants during a modified still-face procedure that used an additional still-face reunion sequence. Results confirm the hypothesis that infants of more responsive parents show more regulation than infants of less responsive parents. Infants of more responsive parents showed greater regulation of heart rate and negative affect during the final episode of the procedure than infants of less responsive parents. In addition, this procedure elicited a cortisol response (from .22 microg/dl to .31 microg/dl). Findings suggest important links between parent behavior and infant stress reactivity and regulation.

Longitudinal Connections of Maternal Supportiveness and Early Emotion Regulation to Children’s School Readiness in Low-Income Families

“…More specifically, supportive maternal behaviorssuch as sensitivity and responsiveness, encouragement of children's autonomy and explorations of their environment, and demonstration of positive regardprovide an environment conducive to children's emotion regulation and for readiness to learn (Cole et al, 2009;Haley & Stansbury, 2003). Such maternal supportiveness within parental caregiving is important because children's brains are most plastic early in life (Reiss & Leve, 2007).…”

The Value of Using an Evolutionary Framework for Gauging Children's Well-Being

“…Children raised with abundant care develop systems that respond well to endogenous opioids and oxytocin, leading to better stress regulation (e.g., Fleming, O'Day, & Kraemer, 1999;Heim & Nemeroff, 2001;Liu et al, 1997;Uvnas-Moberg, 1997). Responsive parenting helps children learn to regulate arousal systems on their own (Haley & Stansbury, 2003) and is linked to heightened moral functioning, including stronger early conscience development (Kochanska, 2002). Well-established vagal tone in adults is correlated with compassion and openheartedness toward others from different backgrounds (summarized by Keltner, 2009).…”

Mutual Regulation in the Context of Inconsolable Crying: Promoting Tolerance to Distress

“…Indeed, the research on the coordination of parent-infant interactions illustrates that the majority of dyadic exchanges are not coordinated (see Fogel, 1982;Haley & Stansbury, 2003;Lester, Hoffman, & Brazelton, 1985 as examples). For our purposes, this literature yields a singularly import finding for parent-infant interactions: the reparation of these communicative mis-steps is the telling interpersonal moment (as described by Kogel & Carter, 1996).…”