Variability in adolescent reception of parental support: Testing the domain-matching hypothesis

The present study investigated matches and mismatches between adolescent and parent socialization domains (i.e., protection, guidance) as related to adolescent reception of parental support during a laboratory-based social evaluation challenge. Participants were 80 early adolescents (Mage = 12.36 years, SD = 1.33, 55% males, 55% Black, 42.5% White, and 2.5% other races or ethnicities) and one parent or guardian per adolescent. Observational measures of parent socialization domains assessed sensitivity to adolescents' thoughts and feelings (protection domain) and prosocial behavioral advice (guidance domain). Measures of parallel adolescent socialization domains included self-reported discomfort during a social evaluation challenge (protection domain) and desire to continue the social evaluation challenge (guidance domain). Adolescent reception of parental support was assessed using an observational measure of adolescent attentiveness and responsiveness to the parent during a parent-adolescent discussion about how to approach the social evaluation challenge. Analyses of interactions between measures of parent and adolescent socialization domains revealed: (a) higher levels of adolescent-reported discomfort during the social evaluation challenge interfered with their reception of parental prosocial behavioral advice but did not enhance their reception of parental sensitivity, and (b) higher levels of adolescent-reported desire to continue the social evaluation challenge interfered with their reception of parental sensitivity but did not enhance their reception of parental prosocial behavioral advice. This study advances socialization research by identifying conditions under which adolescents are more and less receptive to supportive communication from parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Coping Responses in the Context of Family Stress Moderate the Association Between Childhood Anxiety and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms

Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common and highly interrelated. A relatively consistent temporal pattern of anxious and depressive symptoms has emerged from previous studies, such that the development of anxiety tends to precede and predict the development of depression rather than the other way around. Whether high levels of childhood anxiety predict depressive symptoms in late adolescence may depend, in part, on the ways in which children cope with stressful events. Accordingly, the present study used latent intercept models to examine involuntary and voluntary coping responses to familial stress as potential moderators of the association between childhood anxiety and adolescent depressive symptoms. Two hundred twenty-seven participants completed questionnaires measuring demographic variables as well as anxiety, depressive symptoms, and coping responses at a minimum of one time point over four waves of data collection (T1 Mage = 10.26 years, T2 Mage = 15.77 years, T3 Mage = 16.75 years, T4 Mage = 17.68 years). We found that childhood anxiety was positively associated with adolescent depressive symptoms when children reported higher levels of involuntary responses to family stress (e.g., rumination or physiological arousal) in conjunction with either lower levels of voluntary engaged responses (e.g., problem solving or emotion regulation) or higher levels of voluntary disengaged responses (e.g., avoidance or denial). These results shed light on the conditions under which childhood anxiety is associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and underscore the need for continued longitudinal and developmental research on this topic.

Sympathetic-Parasympathetic Interaction and Externalizing Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit significant difficulties with emotion regulation and reactivity, which may be linked to underlying psychophysiology. The present study examined associations between autonomic nervous system activity and individual differences in externalizing behavior problems in children with ASD. A multisystem approach was adopted to consider the interplay between markers of sympathetic (electrodermal reactivity-EDA-R) and parasympathetic reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity-RSA-R) in relation to behavioral challenges. Fifty-two children with ASD ages 6-10 years contributed complete psychophysiological data. Measures of EDA-R and RSA-R (RSA withdrawal) were obtained in response to a laboratory challenge task and parents reported on child externalizing behavior problems using a standardized questionnaire and a structured clinical interview. An equifinality model was supported, with two distinct psychophysiological pathways linked to heightened externalizing behavior problems. Greater RSA-R was associated with more externalizing problems in the context of higher levels of EDA-R, and lower EDA-R was associated with increased externalizing problems at lower levels of RSA-R. Findings underscore the importance of considering the role of psychophysiology in the unfolding of comorbid externalizing problems in children with ASD. Potential implications for tailoring coregulatory supports are discussed. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1805-1816. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit elevated rates of challenging behavior. This study identified specific psychophysiological profiles (low sympathetic-low parasympathetic reactivity, and high sympathetic-high parasympathetic reactivity) that may place these children at greater risk for behavior problems. Findings have implications for better understanding behavioral challenges in children with ASD, and for tailoring supports to address underlying psychophysiology.

Resting high-frequency heart rate variability moderates the association between early-life adversity and body adiposity

This study investigates resting high-frequency heart rate variability as a moderator of the association between early-life adversity and two measures of body adiposity. Data were collected from 149 young adults attending a large university in the Midwestern United States (M_age = 18.8 years; 45% black; 55% white; 56% female). Self-reported early-life adversity was associated with greater waist-to-height ratio and body mass index. The strength of these associations was moderated by high-frequency heart rate variability, such that the link was stronger for individuals with lower heart rate variability. Resting high-frequency heart rate variability thus has potential health significance as a biomarker of stress vulnerability.