Psychophysiological correlates of parenting behavior in mothers of young children

Abstract

This study investigated HPA and vagal functioning as correlates of parenting in mothers of 175 six-month-old children. Salivary cortisol indexed HPA functioning and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reduction indexed vagal regulation. Positive engagement and negative intrusiveness were observed during the Face-to-Face Still Face Paradigm (FFSFP) reunion and a semi-structured free play episode. Mixed modeling was used to examine differences in maternal behaviors across contexts as a function of psychophysiology. Main effects of cortisol levels, as well as interactions with RSA reduction and context, predicted negative intrusiveness. Mothers with high cortisol exhibited more negative intrusiveness if they also had lower RSA reduction. Mothers were also less negatively intrusive during the FFSFP than the free play if they had lower cortisol levels. There were no associations between psychophysiological measures and positive engagement. The findings suggest: (1) that parenting behaviors are associated with maternal stress physiology; (2) considerations of single physiological systems related to parenting behaviors may be incomplete; and (3) type and context of behaviors must be considered when examining biobehavioral associations with parenting.

The effects of maternal respiratory sinus arrhythmia and behavioral engagement on mother‐child physiological coregulation

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore such associations among parents and preschool-aged children, although prior research and theory suggest a role for coregulation as a mechanism through which parents influence children's developing self-regulation (Calkins, 2011;Lunkenheimer et al, 2011). This work builds on prior research supporting that parents' physiological states underlie and support positive engagement with children (Ham & Tronick, 2006;Mills-Koonce et al, 2009), which in turn provides support for children's physiological regulation (Conradt & Ablow, 2010;Moore et al, 2009) through improved parent-child coregulation.…”

“…In the present study, teaching behavior, particularly in the context of the challenging interactional task that required the guidance of parents, represented appropriate parental engagement that reflected responsiveness to children's developmental needs. Prior research has shown that parents' responsiveness to children's needs is related to improvements in RSA regulation during infancy (Conradt & Ablow, 2010;Moore et al, 2009). Moreover, children seem better able to regulate RSA when working with their parents versus working alone .…”

“…In general, children show improved RSA regulation (i.e., withdrawal of RSA during challenge and return to a high basal RSA during relatively lowstress periods) during collaborative tasks with a parent versus tasks completed on their own (Calkins, Graziano, Berdan, Keane, & Degnan, 2008), which may reflect improved physiological regulation when children and parents work together. Mothers who show a high level of sensitivity and responsiveness to infants' needs tend to have children who show better regulation in the form of greater RSA withdrawal during an interactional task designed to elicit distress (Moore et al, 2009). Highly sensitive mothers also have infants who are better able to return to a higher level of basal RSA following a stressful encounter with a parent (Conradt & Ablow, 2010).…”

“…The relationship between RSA and parenting behavior is evidenced by the fact that dysregulation of RSA in parents tends to be associated with fewer positive engagement behaviors with children. Mothers who have elevated cortisol stress responses (i.e., increased activity of the SNS) but poor RSA withdrawal to stress are more likely to engage in intrusive parenting behaviors with their infants (Mills-Koonce et al, 2009). Similarly, mothers who exhibit higher skin conductance (another index of SNS activation) but lower RSA withdrawal during a stressful parent-child interaction also tend to use fewer soothing behaviors with their infants (Ham & Tronick, 2006).…”

“…Although parents' RSA responses to stress have been linked with parental engagement with infants (e.g. Mills-Koonce et al, 2009), no research has yet examined whether teaching is similarly associated with RSA coregulation between parents and preschool-aged children. Thus, the current study investigated the relationship between parent-child physiological coregulation and maternal teaching, as a measure of parents' behavioral engagement with their 3-to 4-year-old children.…”