scholarly journals Associations between Infant-Mother Physiological Synchrony and 4- to 6-Month-Old Infants’ Emotion Regulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew H. Abney ◽  
Elizabeth B. daSilva ◽  
Bennett I. Bertenthal
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Continuous Measure ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Physiological Synchrony ◽  
The Face ◽  
Still Face Paradigm

AbstractIn this study we assessed whether physiological synchrony between infants and mothers contributes to infants’ emotion regulation following a mild social stressor. Infants between 4- to 6-months of age and their mothers were tested in the Face-to-Face-Still-Face paradigm, and were assessed for behavioral and physiological self-regulation during and following the stressor. Physiological synchrony was calculated from a continuous measure of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) enabling us to cross-correlate the infants’ and mothers’ RSA responses. Without considering physiological synchrony, the evidence suggested that infants’ distress followed the prototypical pattern of increasing during the Still Face episode and then decreasing during the Reunion episode. Once physiological synchrony was added to the model, we observed that infants’ emotion regulation improved if mother-infant synchrony was positive, but not if it was negative. This result was qualified further by whether or not infants suppressed their RSA response during the Still Face episode. In sum, these findings highlight how individual differences in infants’ physiological responses contribute significantly to their self-regulation abilities.

scholarly journals Emotion regulation in infants using maternal singing and speech

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niusha Ghazban
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Infant Distress ◽  
The Face

The interaction between a mother and her infant has been described as an intricate ‘dance’ involving coordinated singing and movement (Feldman, 2007). It is widely accepted that infant-directed (ID) speech, characterized as having higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation, is an effective means of communicating with infants and holding their attention (Papousek et al., 1985). Singing is another universally observed caregiving behaviour. Mothers across cultures intuitively use infant-directed (ID) singing to regulate their infants’ emotional state (de l’Etoile, 2006; Nakata & Trehub, 2004). While ID speech and singing appear to be equally successful in regulating infants’ attention (Corbeil, et al., 2013), their effects in modulating infants’ distress are less clear. More precisely, while stress and arousal are intimately connected, there is no research to date that has investigated the efficacy of speech and singing in alleviating infant distress. Using a modified version of the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm (Tronick et al., 1978), the current study is the first to examine 10-month-old infants’ behavioural and physiological responses, via Skin Conductance (SC), to their mother’s singing and speaking. Stress was effectively induced in the still-face episode with infants exhibiting typical “still-face” behaviours and elevated SC responses. The results indicated that in the reunion episode, mother’s singing was more effective in decreasing infant’s physiological arousal, regulating negative affect and promoting infants’ visual attention in comparison to maternal speaking. However, the genre of songs selected (e.g., play song or lullaby) might have been contributed to the positive outcomes of singing in regulating infants’ emotions. Therefore, the second study used the same methodology to examine the effects of maternal play songs and lullabies on infants’ physiological and behavioural responses. The results indicated that maternal play songs were more effective in regulating infants’ stress as well as capturing and maintaining their attention than were soothing lullabies. Taken together, the findings indicate that maternal singing, specifically playful performances, supports infants’ emotions and effectively regulates their stress.

scholarly journals Emotion regulation in infants using maternal singing and speech

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niusha Ghazban
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Emotional State ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Infant Distress ◽  
The Face

The interaction between a mother and her infant has been described as an intricate ‘dance’ involving coordinated singing and movement (Feldman, 2007). It is widely accepted that infant-directed (ID) speech, characterized as having higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation, is an effective means of communicating with infants and holding their attention (Papousek et al., 1985). Singing is another universally observed caregiving behaviour. Mothers across cultures intuitively use infant-directed (ID) singing to regulate their infants’ emotional state (de l’Etoile, 2006; Nakata & Trehub, 2004). While ID speech and singing appear to be equally successful in regulating infants’ attention (Corbeil, et al., 2013), their effects in modulating infants’ distress are less clear. More precisely, while stress and arousal are intimately connected, there is no research to date that has investigated the efficacy of speech and singing in alleviating infant distress. Using a modified version of the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm (Tronick et al., 1978), the current study is the first to examine 10-month-old infants’ behavioural and physiological responses, via Skin Conductance (SC), to their mother’s singing and speaking. Stress was effectively induced in the still-face episode with infants exhibiting typical “still-face” behaviours and elevated SC responses. The results indicated that in the reunion episode, mother’s singing was more effective in decreasing infant’s physiological arousal, regulating negative affect and promoting infants’ visual attention in comparison to maternal speaking. However, the genre of songs selected (e.g., play song or lullaby) might have been contributed to the positive outcomes of singing in regulating infants’ emotions. Therefore, the second study used the same methodology to examine the effects of maternal play songs and lullabies on infants’ physiological and behavioural responses. The results indicated that maternal play songs were more effective in regulating infants’ stress as well as capturing and maintaining their attention than were soothing lullabies. Taken together, the findings indicate that maternal singing, specifically playful performances, supports infants’ emotions and effectively regulates their stress.

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia During Sleep and Waking

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Stoakley ◽  
Karen J. Mathewson ◽  
Louis A. Schmidt ◽  
Kimberly A. Cote
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Slow Wave Sleep ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Nrem Sleep ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Affective Style ◽  
Waking State ◽  
Optimal Period ◽  
The Stability

Abstract. Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is related to individual differences in waking affective style and self-regulation. However, little is known about the stability of RSA between sleep/wake stages or the relations between RSA during sleep and waking affective style. We examined resting RSA in 25 healthy undergraduates during the waking state and one night of sleep. Stability of cardiac variables across sleep/wake states was highly reliable within participants. As predicted, greater approach behavior and lower impulsivity were associated with higher RSA; these relations were evident in early night Non-REM (NREM) sleep, particularly in slow wave sleep (SWS). The current research extends previous findings by establishing stability of RSA within individuals between wake and sleep states, and by identifying SWS as an optimal period of measurement for relations between waking affective style and RSA.

scholarly journals Physiological synchrony is associated with cooperative success in real-life interactions

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Behrens ◽  
J. A. Snijdewint ◽  
R. G. Moulder ◽  
E. Prochazkova ◽  
E. E. Sjak-Shie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Skin Conductance Level ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Dyadic Interaction ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Physiological Synchrony ◽  
Skin Conductance Levels ◽  
The Face

AbstractCooperation is pivotal for society to flourish. To foster cooperation, humans express and read intentions via explicit signals and subtle reflections of arousal visible in the face. Evidence is accumulating that humans synchronize these nonverbal expressions and the physiological mechanisms underlying them, potentially influencing cooperation. The current study is designed to verify this putative linkage between synchrony and cooperation. To that end, 152 participants played the Prisoner’s Dilemma game in a dyadic interaction setting, sometimes facing each other and sometimes not. Results showed that synchrony in both heart rate and skin conductance level emerged during face-to-face contact. However, only synchrony in skin conductance levels predicted cooperative success of dyads. Crucially, this positive linkage was strengthened when participants could see each other. These findings show the strong relationship between our bodily responses and social behavior, and emphasize the importance of studying social processes between rather than within individuals in real-life interactions.

scholarly journals Associations between Infant Behaviors during the Face-To-Face Still-Face Paradigm and Oppositional Defiant and Callous-Unemotional Behaviors in Early Childhood

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 1439-1453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Wagner ◽  
W. Roger Mills-Koonce ◽  
Cathi B. Propper ◽  
Michael T. Willoughby ◽  
Pete D. Rehder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Callous Unemotional ◽  
Oppositional Defiant ◽  
The Face ◽  
Still Face Paradigm

Mother-Infant Vagal Regulation in the Face-To-Face Still-Face Paradigm Is Moderated by Maternal Sensitivity

2009 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginger A. Moore ◽  
Ashley L. Hill-Soderlund ◽  
Cathi B. Propper ◽  
Susan D. Calkins ◽  
W. Roger. Mills-Koonce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
Still Face Paradigm

scholarly journals Parent conflict predicts infants' vagal regulation in social interaction

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginger A. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Vagal Tone ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Physiological Regulation ◽  
Parent Conflict ◽  
Still Face Paradigm

AbstractParent conflict during infancy may affect rapidly developing physiological regulation. To examine the association between parent conflict and infants' vagal tone functioning, mothers (N = 48) reported levels of parent conflict and their 6-month-old male and female infants' respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured in the still-face paradigm. Higher parent conflict was related to lower RSA at baseline and each episode of the still-face paradigm. Infants in relatively higher conflict families showed attenuated RSA withdrawal in response to mothers' disengagement and attenuated RSA activation when interacting with mothers. Findings suggest atypical RSA regulation and reliance on self-regulation for infants in families with moderate levels of parent conflict. Implications for later development and future research are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document