Maternal expressions of positive emotion for children predicts children’s respiratory sinus arrhythmia surrounding stress

The aim of this study is to assess whether positive emotional exchanges (i.e., emotion coregulation) within the mother–child dyad play a protective role in children's physiological response to a distressing task. Specifically, we test whether positive emotion coregulation among mothers and thei...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Developmental psychobiology 2021-07, Vol.63 (5), p.1225-1240
Main Authors: Delgadillo, Desiree, Boparai, Sameen, Pressman, Sarah D., Goldstein, Alison, Bureau, Jean‐François, Schmiedel, Sabrina, Backer, Mumtaz, Broekman, Birit, Hian Tan, Kok, Chong, Yap‐Seng, Chen, Helen, Zalta, Alyson K., Meaney, Michael J., Rifkin‐Graboi, Anne, Tsotsi, Stella, Borelli, Jessica L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autonomic Nervous System - physiology
Child, Preschool
emotions
Emotions - physiology
Female
Frustration
Humans
Mothers
parenting
parent–child relations
physiological stress reactivity
preschool children
psychophysiology
respiratory sinus arrhythmia
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia - physiology
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Summary:The aim of this study is to assess whether positive emotional exchanges (i.e., emotion coregulation) within the mother–child dyad play a protective role in children's physiological response to a distressing task. Specifically, we test whether positive emotion coregulation among mothers and their preschool‐aged children is associated with children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at baseline, during, and following a frustration task. One hundred Singaporean mother–child dyads (Mchildage = 3.5 years) participated in a standardized “Laughing Task” in which positive emotional constructs were measured. Children also participated in a frustration task while RSA was continuously monitored. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that greater maternal positive emotional responses to children were associated with child RSA at baseline and in recovery from frustration, but not during frustration. These findings have implications for the important role that positive emotion responsivity from mothers may play in children's developing autonomic response systems, and underscore the need for longitudinal work on this topic.
ISSN:0012-1630
1098-2302
DOI:10.1002/dev.22082