title: A transactional analysis of the relation between maternal sensitivity and child vagal regulation.
abstract: A transactional model examining the longitudinal association between vagal regulation (as indexed by vagal withdrawal) and maternal sensitivity from age 2.5 to age 5.5 was assessed. The sample included 356 children (171 male, 185 female) and their mothers who participated in a laboratory visit at age 2.5, 4.5, and 5.5. Cardiac vagal tone was obtained during a baseline task and during emotional frustration tasks. Maternal sensitivity was assessed via direct observation during a pretend play and cleanup task. To test for transactional associations, a path model estimating stability paths for vagal withdrawal and maternal sensitivity was compared with a full reciprocal model that included all cross-lagged pathways. A chi-square difference test was used to evaluate whether the cross-lagged model explained the data above and beyond the stability model. The vagal withdrawal cross-lagged model was found to fit significantly better than the stability model and revealed that maternal sensitivity at 2.5 years was associated positively with vagal withdrawal at 4.5 years, and vagal withdrawal at 4.5 years was associated positively with maternal sensitivity at 5.5 years. These results suggest that early sensitive responding by mothers was associated with increases in vagal withdrawal, which in turn was associated with higher levels of sensitive parenting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
authors.forename: Nicole B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mackler
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Calkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Keane
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D032701:Biomimetics; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D014152:Transactional Analysis; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2003 Jan;39(1):164-76
references.pmid: 12518817
references.citation: Child Dev. 1984 Feb;55(1):83-96
references.pmid: 6705636
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 2004 Nov;45(3):101-12
references.pmid: 15505799
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 1968 Mar;75(2):81-95
references.pmid: 4870552
references.citation: Psychophysiology. 2009 May;46(3):458-65
references.pmid: 19226307
references.citation: Dev Neuropsychol. 2003;24(1):479-97
references.pmid: 12850755
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 2013 May;55(4):382-94
references.pmid: 22573287
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 2010 Sep;52(6):603-8
references.pmid: 20806334
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 1999 Sep;35(5):1297-310
references.pmid: 10493655
references.citation: Child Dev. 2010 Jan-Feb;81(1):6-22
references.pmid: 20331651
references.citation: Child Dev. 1993 Oct;64(5):1439-50
references.pmid: 8222882
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 2008 Dec;79(3):299-306
references.pmid: 18722499
references.citation: Infancy. 2002 Apr;3(2):175-197
references.pmid: 33451201
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 2007 Feb;74(2):144-53
references.pmid: 17055141
references.citation: Child Dev. 1998 Jun;69(3):624-35
references.pmid: 9680676
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 2007 Feb;74(2):116-43
references.pmid: 17049418
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2004 Nov;40(6):1068-80
references.pmid: 15535757
references.citation: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1993 Oct;21(5):493-518
references.pmid: 8294650
references.citation: Psychophysiology. 1985 Jul;22(4):409-16
references.pmid: 4023152
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 2005 May;46(4):307-17
references.pmid: 15832322
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 2003 Aug;79(3):503-13
references.pmid: 12954445
references.citation: Child Dev. 2009 Jan-Feb;80(1):209-23
references.pmid: 19236402
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 2009 Oct;82(2):156-63
references.pmid: 19596044
references.citation: Child Dev. 2008 Sep-Oct;79(5):1377-94
references.pmid: 18826531
references.citation: J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1982 Jul;41(4):466-72
references.pmid: 7086467
references.citation: Dev Sci. 2007 Jan;10(1):1-11
references.pmid: 17181692
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2000 Summer;12(3):427-41
references.pmid: 11014746
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 1997 Sep;31(2):125-35
references.pmid: 9298638
references.citation: Dev Sci. 2010 Mar;13(2):271-8
references.pmid: 20136923
references.citation: Infant Behav Dev. 2007 Feb;30(1):114-26
references.pmid: 17292784
references.citation: Dev Psychobiol. 2003 Nov;43(3):230-42
references.pmid: 14558045
references.citation: Biol Psychol. 2010 Jul;84(3):394-421
references.pmid: 20371374
references.citation: Infant Child Dev. 2011 Feb;20(1):106-118
references.pmid: 21516219
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2009 Jul;45(4):1077-96
references.pmid: 19586181
references.citation: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2000 Apr;28(2):103-18
references.pmid: 10834764
references.citation: Child Dev. 1997 Apr;68(2):263-77
references.pmid: 9180001
references.citation: Infancy. 2002 Apr;3(2):153-174
references.pmid: 33451203
references.citation: Acta Genet Med Gemellol (Roma). 1990;39(2):181-91
references.pmid: 2239104
references.citation: Child Dev. 1987 Jun;58(3):633-47
references.pmid: 3608643
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2001 Spring;13(2):183-214
references.pmid: 11393643
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 1991 Jul;110(1):3-25
references.pmid: 1891517
references.citation: Infant Behav Dev. 2009 Jan;32(1):103-16
references.pmid: 19111913
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 1995 Summer;19(2):225-33
references.pmid: 7630578