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RSA reactivity in response to viewing bullying film and adolescent social adjustment
Author(s) -
Cui Lixian,
Zhang Xutong,
Houltberg Benjamin J.,
Criss Michael M.,
Morris Amanda S.
Publication year - 2019
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.21835
Subject(s) - prosocial behavior , reactivity (psychology) , psychology , context (archaeology) , vagal tone , developmental psychology , socialization , aggression , clinical psychology , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , medicine , medical emergency , heart rate , heart rate variability , paleontology , alternative medicine , pathology , blood pressure , biology
This study assessed adolescent respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity while watching a bullying film clip from Boyz'n the Hood . We emphasized the importance of considering measurement context of RSA and examined whether RSA reactivity moderated the links between environmental factors (i.e., neighborhood violence, parental psychological control, and parental acceptance) and adolescent social adjustment. Data were collected from 57 adolescents and their primary caregivers. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration data were obtained from adolescents. Results indicated that neighborhood violence was positively associated with aggressive behavior but only among adolescents showing RSA augmentation, not suppression. Among youth displaying RSA suppression, parental acceptance was positively linked to prosocial behavior. We propose that, in the specific context of watching a bullying film clip, RSA suppression may relate to physiological regulation of emotion, which may differentially influence adolescents' responses to socialization.