Associations between social engagement and parasympathetic activity in the early childhood education classroom

The current study examined associations between the quality of children's social interactions with their teachers and peers and their concurrent parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity in the early education classroom. Data were collected from 80 children (Mage = 4.91 years, 50% female, 50% White). The quality of children's social interaction with their teachers and peers was assessed across five sessions using the inCLASS while changes in children's parasympathetic activity were tracked. Analyses revealed that children increased PNS activity during sessions in which they interacted more positively with their teachers, whereas they decreased activity during sessions in which they interacted more positively with their peers. Children who interacted more positively with their peers across sessions also exhibited larger cross-session reductions in parasympathetic tone.