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Tympanic Membrane Temperature and Emotional Dispositions in Preschool‐Aged Children: A Methodological Study
Author(s) -
Gunnar Megan R.,
Donzella Bonny
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00690.x
Subject(s) - emotionality , psychology , vulnerability (computing) , developmental psychology , asymmetry , fluctuating asymmetry , phenotype , audiology , chemistry , zoology , medicine , biology , physics , computer security , quantum mechanics , computer science , biochemistry , gene
Tympanic membrane (TM) temperature asymmetry has been proposed as a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality in children. Little is known about the stability of TM temperatures or how readily one can obtain a reliable index of the phenotype. TM temperatures were collected from 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children ( N =73) over 5 months ( Mdn= 34 samples). Seven to 10 samples needed to be aggregated to achieve reliable measures (αs>.70). Using reliable estimates, TM asymmetry remained stable over time, r (72)=.72, p< .01; 70% of the children had warmer left TMs; and TM asymmetry correlated as predicted with measures of children's emotionality. TM asymmetry may be a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality, but measures obtained on one occasion may not reliably index the phenotype.