ERIC Number: EJ1246333
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Apr
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
Developmental Patterns of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia from Toddlerhood to Adolescence
Dollar, Jessica M.; Calkins, Susan D.; Berry, Nathaniel T.; Perry, Nicole B.; Keane, Susan P.; Shanahan, Lilly; Wideman, Laurie
Developmental Psychology, v56 n4 p783-794 Apr 2020
Parasympathetic nervous system functioning as indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is widely used as a measure of physiological regulation. We examined developmental patterns of children's resting RSA and RSA reactivity from 2 to 15 years of age, a period of time that is marked by considerable advances in children's regulatory abilities. Physiological data were collected from a community sample of 270 children (116 males) during a resting period and during a frustration laboratory task when the children were 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, and 15 years old. We examined both stability and continuity in resting RSA and RSA reactivity across time. We found stability in resting RSA but not RSA reactivity from toddlerhood to adolescence. Separate multilevel models were used to examine changes in resting RSA and RSA reactivity from Age 2 to Age 15. The rate of change in resting RSA slowed from Age 2 to Age 15 with a plateau around Age 10. A splined growth model indicated that the rate of RSA reactivity increased from Age 2 to Age 7 and a modest slowing and leveling off from Age 7 to Age 15. Understanding the developmental characteristics of RSA across childhood and adolescence is important to understanding the larger constructs of self- and emotion regulation.
Descriptors: Child Development, Neurological Organization, Physiology, Age Differences, Children, Adolescents, Emotional Response, Self Control, At Risk Persons, Behavior Problems, Child Behavior
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Child Behavior Checklist
Grant or Contract Numbers: MH55625; MH55584; MH58144