Relative influences: Patterns of HPA axis concordance during triadic family interaction.

Abstract

Objective Within-family concordance in physiology may have implications for family system functioning and for individual health outcomes. Here, we examine patterns of association in cortisol within family triads. Methods A total of 103 adolescents and their parents sampled saliva at multiple timepoints before and after a conflict discussion task. We explored whether within-family associations existed and were moderated by stepparent presence and youth gender, and whether within-family patterns of influence correlated with individuals’ aggregate cortisol. Results Across the laboratory visit, the cortisol levels of fathers, mothers, and youth were positively associated. In time-lagged models, mothers’ cortisol predicted fathers’ cortisol levels sampled at the following timepoint, whereas fathers’ predicted youths’ and youths’ predicted mothers’ cortisol. These patterns appeared stronger in families not including stepparents. Youth gender moderated some associations: in the aggregate, youth were more strongly linked with their same-gender parent. In time-lagged models, girls were more closely linked to their mothers than boys, and both parents were more linked to girls. Youth showed higher aggregate cortisol output if they were more linked with their mothers, and lower output if more linked with their fathers; parents had higher output if they were more linked with their spouses and lower output if more linked with their children. Conclusions These results suggest that family members’ physiological activation may be linked during shared interaction, and that these patterns may be affected by family role and by youth gender. Our findings identify specific patterns of physiological influence within families that may inform family systems theories.

Parent cortisol and family relatedness predict anxious behavior in emerging adults.

“…The current findings contrast with Saxbe et al (2014), in that fathers’ cortisol patterns predicted mothers’ cortisol. Specifically, when fathers had high cortisol levels when beginning the laboratory challenge, their wives had high cortisol levels at the end of the family interaction.…”

“…Up to the present, what research exists on child cortisol and family dynamics has focused mainly on insider perspectives (i.e., self-report) of early and current family functioning, and few have examined cortisol levels from both parents during a task (Saxbe, Margolin, Shapiro, Ramos, Rodriguez, & Iturralde, 2014; Stenius, Theorell, Lilja, Scheynius, Alm et al, 2008). Moreover, no study has investigated linkages between parent cortisol response and children’s adjustment to normative developmental change.…”

Physiological linkage in couples and its implications for individual and interpersonal functioning: A literature review.

“…One study reported non-significant findings for a composite of multiple indices (Bloch, Haase, & Levenson, 2014) and another found non-significant results for HR and EDA (Reed et al, 2013). Eleven studies used laboratory-based discussions tasks (e.g., Laurent & Powers, 2007; Saxbe et al, 2014); the majority of these tasks involved engaging in conflict or problem solving. Seven studies tested linkage in the home environment; all of these measured endocrine system markers (e.g., cortisol; Saxbe & Repetti, 2010; Storey et al, 2000), except for one study that examined linkage in sleep timing (Hasler & Troxel, 2010).…”

“…This phenomenon, known as physiological linkage, synchrony, or coregulation, is defined as covariation between two people in their physiological states. Although documented as early as the 1950s in client-therapist dyads (Di Mascio, Boyd, Greenblat, & Solomon, 1955), interest in physiological linkage, especially in romantic couples, has been increasing in the past few years (Helm, Sbarra, & Ferrer, 2012, 2014; Liu, Rovine, Cousino Klein, Almeida, 2013; Papp, Pendry, Simon, & Adam, 2013; Saxbe et al, 2014; Saxbe & Repetti, 2010). The advent of more sophisticated technological and quantitative techniques for capturing dynamic inter-individual physiological processes (Ferrer & Helm, 2013; McAssey, Helm, Hsieh, Sbarra, & Ferrer, 2013; Poh, Swensen, & Picard, 2010) has primed the field for continuing advances.…”

Cortisol covariation within parents of young children: Moderation by relationship aggression

“…For example, positive associations between mothers’ and children’s cortisol levels have been reported in a variety of studies (Granger et al, 1998; Hibel et al, 2009; Papp et al, 2009). Although the literature examining covariation with couples is small, studies have consistently reported positive correlations between partners’ cortisol levels, both in the laboratory (e.g., Laws et al, 2015; Saxbe et al, 2014) and in momentary studies conducted over several days (Saxbe and Repetti, 2010; Liu et al, 2013; Papp et al, 2013). The implications of cortisol covariation are complex (Timmons, Margolin, & Saxbe, 2015).…”