Longitudinal relations between child vagal tone and parenting behavior: 2 to 4 years.

Publication/Presentation Date

7-1-2004

Abstract

The longitudinal relations between physiological markers of child emotion regulation and maternal parenting practices were examined from 2 to 4 years of age. At Time 1, cardiac vagal tone was assessed for one hundred four 2-year-olds (54 females); their mothers completed an assessment of parenting styles. Two years later, at Time 2, 84 of the original participants were reassessed on measures of cardiac vagal tone and parenting style. Results indicated both baseline cardiac vagal tone and maternal parenting practices to be stable from 2 to 4 years of age. Children's cardiac vagal tone predicted specific parenting practices from the toddler to preschool years. Further, child cardiac vagal tone moderated maternal restrictive-parenting practices from 2 to 4 years of age; mothers of children who were highly or moderately physiologically dysregulated were more likely to report restrictive parenting practices at both 2 and 4 years of age.

Volume

45

Issue

1

First Page

10

Last Page

21

ISSN

0012-1630

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

15229872

Department(s)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Document Type

Article

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