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Social behavior correlates of cortisol activity in child care: gender differences and time-of-day effects

K Tout1, M de Haan, E K Campbell

  • 1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA. gunnar@tc.umn.edu

Child Development
|December 5, 1998
PubMed

Insights

This study explored stress hormone (cortisol) patterns and social behavior in preschool boys. For boys, externalizing behaviors linked to cortisol reactivity, while internalizing behaviors linked to lower typical cortisol levels.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Endocrinology
  • Child Behavior

Background:

  • Social behavior in early childhood is crucial for development.
  • Understanding stress hormone (cortisol) patterns offers insight into child well-being.
  • Child care settings provide a context for observing social interactions and stress responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between social behaviors and daily cortisol patterns in preschool children.
  • To investigate gender differences in cortisol-behavior associations.
  • To explore the impact of time of day on cortisol levels and their relation to behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed social behavior (shy/anxious/internalizing, angry/aggressive/externalizing, social competence) via teacher reports and observations in 75 preschoolers.
  • Measured cortisol activity, including median levels and reactivity.
  • Analyzed associations between behavioral dimensions and cortisol measures, considering gender and time of day.

Main Results:

  • Cortisol-behavior relationships differed significantly by gender, with associations found only in boys.
  • For boys, externalizing behaviors correlated positively with cortisol reactivity.
  • Internalizing behaviors in boys were negatively associated with median cortisol levels and positively with the morning-to-afternoon cortisol rise, contrary to typical circadian patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Social behavior and cortisol patterns show complex, gender-specific relationships in young children.
  • The typical diurnal cortisol rhythm may be altered by behavioral factors in boys.
  • Findings highlight the importance of considering gender and time of day in developmental studies of hormone-behavior links.

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