Biological sensitivity to context: an exploratory test of the hypothesized U-shaped relationship between early adversity and stress responsivity

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Title Biological sensitivity to context: an exploratory test of the hypothesized U-shaped relationship between early adversity and stress responsivity
Publication Type thesis
School or College School of Medicine
Department Psychology
Author Shakiba, Nila
Date 2018
Description We conducted exploratory signal detection analyses in an ethnically diverse sample of 338 kindergarten children (4-6 years old) to examine the evolutionary-developmental theory of biological sensitivity to context. The theory proposes that there is a curvilinear, U-shaped relation between early exposure to adversity, support and the magnitude of physiological responses to stress, with high reactivity phenotypes emerging under both highly stressful and highly protective early environmental conditions. Across both sympathetic and adrenocortical systems, we found evidence for high reactivity profiles. Higher cortisol reactivity was shown by children whose parents reported greater use of restrictive and controlling parenting practices. Likewise, the combination of high family stress and unstable family economic conditions uniquely predicted greater activation of the sympathetic system to laboratory stressors. In addition, a relatively high proportion of children from very low stressful family environments showed high sympathetic and adrenocortical reactivity phenotypes. No indices of contextual and familial stressors were identified by signal detection analysis that were closely (either singly or in combination) associated with high parasympathetic reactivity. The exploratory findings offered confirmatory support for the hypothesized U-shaped relation between childhood stress, support and stress responsivity, with children from moderately stressful family environments showing the lowest reactivity levels.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Dissertation Name Master of Science
Language eng
Rights Management (c) Nila Shakiba
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
ARK ark:/87278/s6z76a2t
Setname ir_etd
ID 1748479
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6z76a2t
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