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Physiological arousal and observed behaviour in parent-child interactions involving young children with Down syndrome
E Lorang1,2, S Hartley3,2, A Sterling1,2
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
Insights
Collecting electrodermal activity (EDA) data from children with Down syndrome (DS) and their parents during play is feasible. Parent and child EDA were linked in father-child dyads, but not mother-child dyads, suggesting different physiological connections.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Health
- Physiological Psychology
Background:
- Parental involvement is crucial for children with Down syndrome (DS) development.
- Electrodermal activity (EDA) offers insights into parent-child dynamics beyond observable behaviors.
- Understanding parent-child physiological synchrony in DS is an emerging research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the feasibility of collecting EDA data from preschool-aged children with DS.
- To examine the relationship between parent and child EDA during interactive play.
- To investigate how parent behaviors correlate with parent and child EDA.
Main Methods:
- Dyadic free play interactions were conducted with 15 families, involving children with DS (24-61 months) and one parent (mother or father).
- Multisensory wristbands were used to measure electrodermal activity (EDA) in both children and parents.
- Parental behaviors, including requests and comments, were systematically coded.
Main Results:
- Feasible collection of EDA data was achieved for most children and parents across mother-child and father-child interactions.
- A significant positive association between parent and child EDA variability was found in father-child dyads, but not mother-child dyads.
- Maternal requests for behavioral compliance positively correlated with child EDA variability.
Conclusions:
- Wristband-based EDA data collection is feasible for young children with DS during parent-child interactions.
- Preliminary findings suggest distinct physiological connections between parents and children with DS in mother-child versus father-child dyads.
- Further research is warranted to explore these nuanced physiological relationships in Down syndrome.
Background:
Parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) play an important role in their child's development. Physiological measures, such as electrodermal activity (EDA), can shed light on parent-child relations beyond the behavioural level. The goals of the current study were to assess the feasibility of collecting EDA data in preschool age children with DS, examine the association between parent and child EDA during play-based interactions, and investigate the relation between parent and child EDA and observed parent behaviours.
Method:
Two parents in 15 families participated in dyadic free play interactions with their child with DS (i.e., 15 mother-child and 15 father-child interactions). The children with DS (aged 24-61 months) and both of their parents wore multisensory wristbands measuring EDA. Parent behaviours were coded as requests for behavioural complies, requests for verbal complies, or comments.
Results:
Usable EDA data were collected for 13/15 children and 11/15 mothers during the mother-child interactions and 14/15 children and 12/15 fathers during the father-child interactions. Parent and child EDA variability was significantly positively related for father-child but not mother-child dyads. Maternal use of requests for behavioural complies was positively related to child EDA variability.
Conclusions:
The collection of EDA data through wristbands worn by young children with DS during early parent-child interactions was feasible. Preliminary findings indicated that some aspects of parent and child physiology in DS may be related in different ways for mother-child and father-child dyads.
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