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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 17, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
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Latent trait cortisol (LTC) levels: reliability, validity, and stability.

Leah D Doane1, Frances R Chen2, Michael R Sladek1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|February 24, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a reliable latent trait cortisol (LTC) measure for understanding individual differences in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity. LTC offers a stable, valid, and cost-effective alternative to existing methods for HPA axis assessment.

Keywords:
Childhood traumaHypothalamic pituitary adrenal axisLongitudinal studySalivary cortisolStabilityTrait

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Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Individual differences in health and development are linked to hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis regulation.
  • Existing methods like cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope have limitations.
  • Assessing daily HPA axis functioning is crucial for understanding these individual differences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a reliable latent trait cortisol (LTC) factor reflecting stable individual differences in HPA axis activity.
  • To assess the stability, reliability, and validity of this new LTC measure.
  • To explore LTC as a potentially more efficient and less burdensome alternative to current HPA axis assessment strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Salivary cortisol was collected 45 times from 82 adolescents over 9 months during their transition to college.
  • Latent state-trait modeling was used to derive a latent trait factor of cortisol (LTC).
  • Convergent validity was assessed by examining the association between LTC and childhood trauma.

Main Results:

  • Latent state-trait modeling identified a stable latent trait cortisol (LTC) factor.
  • LTC was distinct from the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and predicted diurnal cortisol patterns.
  • Childhood trauma was positively associated with LTC, supporting its convergent validity.
  • The LTC factor demonstrated high stability across the 9-month assessment period.

Conclusions:

  • A reliable and valid latent trait factor of cortisol (LTC) was identified, reflecting stable individual differences in HPA axis activity.
  • LTC offers a potentially cost-efficient and less burdensome method for assessing HPA axis functioning compared to existing strategies.
  • This new measure holds promise for research on health and human development across the lifespan.