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Temperament, social competence, and adrenocortical activity in preschoolers
M R Gunnar1, K Tout, M de Haan
1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Insights
Preschoolers' stress hormone (salivary cortisol) patterns reveal links between temperament and social skills. Changes in cortisol reactivity during school adjustment predict social competence and behavior.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Temperament and social competence are key developmental factors in early childhood.
- Salivary cortisol is a widely used biomarker for the stress response system.
- Understanding the interplay between these factors is crucial for child development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between temperament, social competence, and salivary cortisol patterns in preschoolers.
- To examine how cortisol levels and reactivity change during the transition to school.
- To identify specific cortisol patterns associated with different social behaviors and competencies.
Main Methods:
- Two studies involving preschoolers (N=29 and N=46) were conducted.
- Salivary cortisol was sampled daily during the initial school "Group Formation" period and a later "Familiar Group" period.
- Cortisol activity was measured by median cortisol (50th percentile) and cortisol reactivity (75th-50th percentile).
Main Results:
- Cortisol reactivity varied significantly between the two school periods, while median cortisol was more stable.
- Children with high initial cortisol reactivity that normalized later were more outgoing, competent, and peer-accepted.
- Sustained high cortisol reactivity or a shift from low to high reactivity was linked to negative affect and social withdrawal.
- High median cortisol was associated with lower attentional and inhibitory control.
Conclusions:
- Cortisol reactivity patterns, particularly during school transitions, are dynamic and linked to social competence.
- Individual differences in temperament and neuroendocrine responses interact with contextual changes (school environment).
- These findings highlight the complex interplay of biological and environmental factors in shaping children's social development.
Abstract:
The relations among temperament, social competence, and levels of a stress-sensitive hormone (salivary cortisol) were examined in two studies of preschoolers children (Study 1, N = 29; Study 2, N = 46). In both studies, we sampled cortisol daily for the initial weeks of school year (Group Formation period) and for several weeks later in the year (Familiar Group period). For each child, we examined two measures of cortisol activity (separately for each period) based on the distribution of cortisol levels across days: (a) median cortisol (50th percentile) and (b) cortisol reactivity (the difference between the 75th and 50th percentile). Median cortisol was modestly stable across periods, but cortisol reactivity was not. Children who showed high cortisol reactivity (75th minus 50th percentile > or = 0.10 micrograms/dl) during the Group Formation period but low-to-normal cortisol reactivity during the Familiar Group period were outgoing, competent, and well liked by their peers. In contrast, children who changed from low/normal to high cortisol reactivity and those who maintained high cortisol reactivity from the Group Formation to Familiar Group period were affectively negative and solitary. Children who showed high median cortisol during the Familiar Group period or over both periods scored lower on a measure of attentional and inhibitory control. Together, these results suggest that relations among temperament, social competence, and neuroendocrine reactivity reflect both individual and contextual differences.