Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Youth Parasympathetic Functioning Moderates Relations between Cumulative Family Risk and Internalizing Behaviors
Marta Benito-Gomez1, Anne C Fletcher2, Cheryl Buehler2
1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA. m_benito@uncg.edu.
Abstract:
Problematic family functioning places young adolescents at risk for internalizing behaviors. However, not all adolescents who experience family risk develop internalizing behaviors during early adolescence. Informed by a cumulative risk perspective, the current study examined whether associations between cumulative family risk, as well as particular family risk domains, and youth internalizing behaviors are moderated by youth parasympathetic reactivity. Participants include 68 young adolescents in 6th grade. Youth were 56% female, 41% African American, and 54% European American. For young adolescents who experienced higher change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia during a challenge/stressor task, greater cumulative family risk, exposure to more family risk domains, and several particular risk factors (maternal psychological well-being, marital/family system risk), were associated with higher levels of internalizing behaviors. The findings from this study demonstrate that the extent to which both particular family risk factors and cumulative family risk place youth at increased risk for internalizing behaviors depends on youth's parasympathetic functioning.
More Related Videos
08:22Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
Published on: February 25, 2016
07:56Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Adler's Individual Psychology
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification