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Vagal tone and temperament as predictors of emotion regulation strategies in young children
Author(s) -
Santucci Aimee K.,
Silk Jennifer S.,
Shaw Daniel S.,
Gentzler Amy,
Fox Nathan A.,
Kovacs Maria
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.20283
Subject(s) - temperament , psychology , vagal tone , delay of gratification , negative affectivity , developmental psychology , depression (economics) , reactivity (psychology) , positive affectivity , tone (literature) , heart rate variability , personality , heart rate , medicine , social psychology , alternative medicine , literature , pathology , blood pressure , economics , macroeconomics , art
We examined indices of vagal tone and two dimensions of temperament as predictors of emotion regulation (ER) strategies among children ( n = 54, ages 4–7) of mothers with a history of depression and control mothers. Children's (adaptive and maladaptive) ER strategies were observed during a delay of gratification (frustration) task in one protocol. In a separate and independent protocol, vagal tone was assessed during rest (baseline), during emotional challenge (reactivity) and post‐challenge (recovery) and mothers rated their children's temperament (effortful control, negative affectivity). Lower vagal recovery and higher negative affectivity were associated with maladaptive ER responses to frustration. However, vagal tone and temperament were not associated with adaptive ER responses and maternal depression status did not affect the results. Overall, the findings are consistent with models of vagal tone and temperament as markers of individual differences in ER. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 205–216, 2008.