TY - JOUR
T1 - Salivary cortisol levels and infant temperament shape developmental trajectories in boys at risk for behavioral maladjustment
AU - Pérez-Edgar, Koraly
AU - Schmidt, Louis A.
AU - Henderson, Heather A.
AU - Schulkin, Jay
AU - Fox, Nathan A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Kenneth H. Rubin and Amy Kennedy for the coding and analysis of the peer interaction data at age 4. We would also like to thank Stacey Barton, Ariana Shahinfar, Genevieve Erb, Patricia Peters, Shari K. Young, Lisa Perry for their assistance in the longitudinal data collection. We would especially like to thank the parents of the children who participated and continue to participate in our studies. Funding for the study was provided by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and NICHD grants (HD32666; HD17899) to Nathan A. Fox. Manuscript preparation was made possible by an NIMH grant (MH073569) to Koraly Pérez-Edgar.
Funding Information:
Funding for the study was provided by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and NICHD grants (HD32666; HD17899) to Nathan A. Fox. Manuscript preparation was made possible by an NIMH grant (MH073569) to Koraly Pérez-Edgar. The NIH had no further role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
PY - 2008/8
Y1 - 2008/8
N2 - Behavioral problems in young children can take on a variety of forms, which are linked to distinct antecedents and co-occurring markers. Internalizing difficulties in young children, for example, have been linked to individual differences in infant temperament and cortisol levels. In addition, there is growing evidence that these biobehavioral mechanisms are also shaped by gender. Four-year-old children participated in a study examining the relations between salivary cortisol and behavioral maladjustment as a function of gender and temperament. Both longitudinal (maternal report of infant temperament at 9 months) and concurrent (morning salivary cortisol at age 4) data were used to predict two forms of maladjustment: 'Withdrawal' (maternal report of internalizing behavior and laboratory observation of social reticence) and 'Acting Out' (maternal report of externalizing behavior and laboratory observation of solitary active play). High basal cortisol levels were strongly associated with Withdrawal in male participants. However, the relation was significant only in boys who exhibited high levels of negative temperament in infancy. There were no comparable findings with 'Acting Out' beyond a main effect of gender reflecting greater difficulty in boys. The data suggested that there are unique biobehavioral mechanisms shaping specific patterns of maladjustment in childhood.
AB - Behavioral problems in young children can take on a variety of forms, which are linked to distinct antecedents and co-occurring markers. Internalizing difficulties in young children, for example, have been linked to individual differences in infant temperament and cortisol levels. In addition, there is growing evidence that these biobehavioral mechanisms are also shaped by gender. Four-year-old children participated in a study examining the relations between salivary cortisol and behavioral maladjustment as a function of gender and temperament. Both longitudinal (maternal report of infant temperament at 9 months) and concurrent (morning salivary cortisol at age 4) data were used to predict two forms of maladjustment: 'Withdrawal' (maternal report of internalizing behavior and laboratory observation of social reticence) and 'Acting Out' (maternal report of externalizing behavior and laboratory observation of solitary active play). High basal cortisol levels were strongly associated with Withdrawal in male participants. However, the relation was significant only in boys who exhibited high levels of negative temperament in infancy. There were no comparable findings with 'Acting Out' beyond a main effect of gender reflecting greater difficulty in boys. The data suggested that there are unique biobehavioral mechanisms shaping specific patterns of maladjustment in childhood.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.03.018
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.03.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 18650023
AN - SCOPUS:48149084824
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 33
SP - 916
EP - 925
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
IS - 7
ER -
