Interactive effects of maternal physiological arousal and regulation on maternal sensitivity: Replication and extension in an independent sample

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which mothers' physiological arousal (i.e., skin conductance level [SCL] augmentation) and regulation (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia[RSA] withdrawal) interacted to predict subsequent maternal sensitivity. Mothers' (N = 176) SCL and RSA were measured prenatally during a resting baseline and while watching videos of crying infants. Maternal sensitivity was observed during a freeplay task and the still-face paradigm when their infants were 2 months old. The results demonstrated that higher SCL augmentation but not RSA withdrawal predicted more sensitive maternal behaviors as a main effect. Additionally, SCL augmentation and RSA withdrawal interacted, such that well-regulated maternal arousal was associated with greater maternal sensitivity at 2 months. Further, the interaction between SCL and RSA was only significant for the negative dimensions of maternal behavior used to derive the measure of maternal sensitivity (i.e., detachment and negative regard) suggesting that well-regulated arousal is particularly important for inhibiting the tendency to engage in negative maternal behaviors. The results replicate findings from mothers in previous studies and demonstrate that the interactive effects of SCL and RSA in relation to parenting outcomes are not sample specific. Considering joint effects of physiological responding across multiple biological systems may enhance understanding of the antecedents of sensitive maternal behavior.

Within-person bidirectional associations between maternal cortisol reactivity and harsh parenting across infancy and toddlerhood.

“…Because it can be challenging to capture parents’ emotional experiences in real time when interacting with their children, assessing biological responses can be an unobtrusive way to measure parents’ stress reactivity and regulation during parenting challenges. Previous work has documented associations between maternal autonomic nervous system reactivity (e.g., changes in cardiac or electrodermal activity) during parent–child interactions and maternal behavioral responses in early childhood (Leerkes et al, 2023; Ravindran et al, 2022; Skowron et al, 2013; Zhang et al, 2022). While these studies focused on how momentary peripheral physiological reactivity may support or interfere with parenting in real time, attention has also been directed to how child-related situations may challenge parents’ neuroendocrine stress response system, which can be activated over a wider time range in response to a stressor and involve a cascade of hormonal responses that may have more long-term implications for individuals’ physical and mental health (Repetti et al, 2002).…”

Pregnant women’s autonomic responses to an infant cry predict young infants’ behavioral avoidance during the still-face paradigm.

“…Based on this perspective, increases in SCL in response to infant crying may be associated with less sensitive parental responses to infant distress, which in turn will fail to support young children’s emerging abilities to effectively regulate their own emotions and behaviors. Indeed, SCL increases in response to audio-recordings of an unfamiliar infant crying have been associated with more negative emotional reactions to the infant cry, more harsh discipline practices, and less sensitive parenting (Emery et al, 2014; Joosen, Mesman, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2013), although null findings have also been reported (Leerkes et al, 2023, Leerkes, Gedaly, & Su, 2016). Although these findings may suggest that increases in SCL in response to infant cries are associated with parenting-related emotions and behaviors, we are not aware of any studies testing whether increases in SCL in response to unfamiliar infants’ crying are associated with infants’ later socioemotional outcomes.…”

“…According to this perspective, it is the combination of both high physiological arousal (as indexed by SCL increases) and high physiological regulation (as reflected by RSA decreases) in response to infant distress that supports appropriate parental responses. Indeed, RSA and SCL responses to unfamiliar infant cries interacted in this manner to predict mothers’ empathetic assessments of the unfamiliar infant’s cry as well as maternal sensitivity when interacting with their own infants (Leerkes et al, 2015, 2023; Leerkes, Gedaly, & Su, 2016). Moreover, infants were less likely to develop secure attachments and more likely to develop a disorganized attachment if their mothers exhibited both high SCL reactivity and a lack of RSA declines in response to their own infants’ distress (Leerkes et al, 2017; Leerkes, Su, et al, 2016).…”

“…This is based on the idea that SCL increases reflect emotional inhibition (Fowles, 1988) as well as evidence that SCL increases in response to infant cry stimuli may be associated with negative emotional reactions to the cry and harsh parenting (e.g., Emery et al, 2014; Joosen, Mesman, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2013). Based on the evidence from Leerkes et al (Leerkes et al, 2023; Leerkes, Gedaly, & Su, 2016), we also explored the possibility that pregnant women’s RSA and SCL responses to an unfamiliar infant’s cry interacted with one another to predict infant avoidant and resistant regulation strategies.…”