Biobehavioral indices of emotion regulation relate to school attitudes, motivation, and behavior problems in a low-income preschool sample.
Effective emotion regulation may promote resilience and preschool classroom adjustment by supporting adaptive peer interactions and engagement in learning activities. We investigated how hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) regulation, cardiac reactivity, and classroom emotion displays related to adjustment among low-income preschoolers attending Head Start. A total of 62 four-year-olds completed a laboratory session including a baseline soothing video; emotion-eliciting slides/video clips, and recovery. Salivary cortisol, heart rate, and vagal tone were measured throughout. Independent coders used handheld computers to observe classroom emotion expression/regulation. Teachers rated child motivation, persistence/attention, learning attitudes, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Results reveal associations between biobehavioral markers of regulatory capacity and early school adjustment.
Miller
Alison L
AL
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1420 Washington Heights, SPHII, Room M5533, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. alimill@umich.edu
Seifer
Ronald
R
Stroud
Laura
L
Sheinkopf
Stephen J
SJ
Dickstein
Susan
S
D001290:Attitude; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D011203:Poverty; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*