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Asymmetry in children's salivary cortisol and alpha‐amylase in the context of marital conflict: Links to children's emotional security and adjustment
Author(s) -
Koss Kalsea J.,
George Melissa R.W.,
Cummings E. Mark,
Davies Patrick T.,
ElSheikh Mona,
Cicchetti Dante
Publication year - 2014
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.21156
Subject(s) - psychology , context (archaeology) , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , paleontology , biology
Recent research supports the promise of examining interactive models of physiological processes on children's adjustment. The present study investigates interactions between children's autonomic nervous system activity and adrenocortical functioning in the context of marital discord; specifically, testing models of concurrent responses proposed by Bauer et al. ([2002] Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 23:102–113) in the prediction of children's behavioral responses to conflict and adjustment. Asymmetry and symmetry in children's salivary alpha‐amylase and cortisol were examined in 195 children ( M age = 8 years) in response to viewing conflict vignettes. Results were partially consistent with an interactive model in the context of high marital discord; asymmetry among higher alpha‐amylase and lower cortisol related to higher emotional insecurity and concurrent and subsequent maladjustment. In contrast, patterns of symmetrical responses were related to greater maladjustment for children exposed to lower levels of marital discord, supporting an additive model. Findings support the importance of a multisystem approach to investigating the adaptiveness of children's physiological stress responses, while also highlighting the value of considering physiological responses in the context of family risk. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc . Dev Psychobiol 56: 836–849, 2014.