title: Tympanic membrane temperature and emotional dispositions in preschool-aged children: a methodological study.
abstract: Tympanic membrane (TM) temperature asymmetry has been proposed as a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality in children. Little is known about the stability of TM temperatures or how readily one can obtain a reliable index of the phenotype. TM temperatures were collected from 3- to 5-year-old children (N=73) over 5 months (Mdn=34 samples). Seven to 10 samples needed to be aggregated to achieve reliable measures (alphas>.70). Using reliable estimates, TM asymmetry remained stable over time, r(72)=.72, p<.01; 70% of the children had warmer left TMs; and TM asymmetry correlated as predicted with measures of children's emotionality. TM asymmetry may be a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality, but measures obtained on one occasion may not reliably index the phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. gunnar@umn.edu
authors.forename: Megan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gunnar
authors.forename: Bonny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donzella
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000502:physiology*