Research Article

Inhibited temperament and parent emotional availability differentially predict young children's cortisol responses to novel social and nonsocial events

  1. Darlene A. Kertes1,*,
  2. Bonny Donzella2,
  3. Nicole M. Talge3,
  4. Melissa C. Garvin4,
  5. Mark J. Van Ryzin2,
  6. Megan R. Gunnar2

Article first published online: 12 AUG 2009

DOI: 10.1002/dev.20390

Issue

Developmental Psychobiology

Developmental Psychobiology

Volume 51, Issue 7, pages 521–532, November 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kertes, D. A., Donzella, B., Talge, N. M., Garvin, M. C., Van Ryzin, M. J. and Gunnar, M. R. (2009), Inhibited temperament and parent emotional availability differentially predict young children's cortisol responses to novel social and nonsocial events. Dev. Psychobiol., 51: 521–532. doi: 10.1002/dev.20390

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250

  2. 2

    Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455

  3. 3

    Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

  4. 4

    Childcare Assessment through, Research and Evaluation (CARE), San Francisco, CA

*Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 OCT 2009
  2. Article first published online: 12 AUG 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 23 JUN 2009
  4. Manuscript Received: 6 FEB 2009

Funded by

  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Grant Number: HD16494
  • National Institute of Mental Health. Grant Numbers: MH066208, MH15755

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Keywords:

  • fearful temperament;
  • behavioral inhibition;
  • cortisol;
  • parenting

Abstract

Preschool-aged children (n = 274) were examined in the laboratory to assess behavioral and cortisol responses to nonsocial and social threat. Parents also responded to scales on the Children's Behavior Questionnaire reflecting exuberant approach to novel/risky activities (reversed scored) and shyness. Multi-method measures of Nonsocial and Social Inhibition were computed. Parents and children were observed engaging in a series of interactive tasks and the Emotional Availability scales were scored for parental sensitivity, nonintrusiveness, nonhostility, and structuring. These scores were factored to yield one measure of Parenting Quality. Analyses revealed that Nonsocial and Social Inhibition could be distinguished and that associations with cortisol response were stressor specific. Moderation analyses revealed that parenting quality buffered cortisol elevations for extremely socially, but not nonsocially inhibited children. These findings are consistent with evidence that sensitive, supportive parenting is an important buffer of the HPA axis response to threat in infants and toddlers, and extends this finding to the preschool period. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 51: 521–532, 2009.

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