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How babies learn: The autonomic socioemotional reflex
Robert J Ludwig1, Martha G Welch2
1Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168th St, New York, NY 10032, United States of America.
Early Human Development
|September 24, 2020
Summary
Early life trauma impacts development, but memory storage is unclear. Calming cycle theory proposes mother-infant learning via autonomic reflexes, offering a new framework for understanding and treating socioemotional behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Early traumatic events negatively affect long-term development and socioemotional behavior.
- The precise location and mechanism of traumatic memory storage in the body remain unclear.
- Existing theories suggest the subcortical limbic system, but lack testable hypotheses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Pavlovian conditioning and introduce calming cycle theory.
- To propose a distinct learning model for mother-infant interactions.
- To offer a theory of change for socioemotional development.
Main Methods:
- Review of classical and functional Pavlovian conditioning.
- Introduction of calming cycle theory, emphasizing distinct autonomic learning.
- Presentation of evidence from a randomized controlled trial.
Main Results:
- Calming cycle theory posits that autonomic learning, initiated in utero, forms conditional reflexes (autonomic socioemotional reflexes - ASRs).
- ASRs are stored within the autonomic nervous systems of the mother-infant dyad and can monitor relational health.
- Functional Pavlovian co-conditioning offers a mechanism to modify physiological/behavioral reflex responses.
Conclusions:
- Calming cycle theory provides a testable framework for understanding early life stress and socioemotional development.
- The theory offers a mechanism of change and a method for intervention.
- Evidence from a trial with premature infants and mothers supports the theory.
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