A Multi-Component Model of Emotion Response Convergence: Implications for the Development of Psychopathology

A central tenet in emotion research is that emotional reactivity involves convergent changes across subjective, behavioral, autonomic, and more recently neural, response systems. This has led to a model where convergence across multiple response systems facilitates an individual's emotional responses to environmental stressors. However, empirical support for this model is mixed and limited work examines whether psychobiological convergence during emotional reactions unfolds differently among children at risk for psychopathology. In this paper, we review data examining whether atypical alignment between autonomic and subjective components of emotional reactivity is evident in youth with internalizing and externalizing problems. We contend that the direction and magnitude of psychobiological convergence may be meaningful for understanding individual differences in the development of psychopathology. We focus on autonomic and self-reported responses, commonly assessed in developmental work, and explore how their alignment may reflect meaningful variation in emotional experience. We propose that understanding the neural basis of this convergence could refine developmental models of emotion and inform early identification of risk. Finally, we outline methodological considerations for studying convergence across emotional systems in youth.