Moderate Baseline Vagal Tone Predicts Greater Prosociality in Children

Autor/inn/en	Miller, Jonas G.; Kahle, Sarah; Hastings, Paul D.
Titel	Moderate Baseline Vagal Tone Predicts Greater Prosociality in Children
Quelle	In: Developmental Psychology, 53 (2017) 2, S.274-289 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0012-1649
DOI	10.1037/dev0000238
Schlagwörter	Neurology; Physiology; Emotional Response; Prosocial Behavior; Children; Comparative Analysis; Young Children; Predictor Variables; Empathy; Age Differences; Psychological Patterns; Foreign Countries; Interviews; Statistical Analysis; Measurement Equipment; Brain; Altruism; Followup Studies; Questionnaires; Canada + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Neurologie; Physiologie; Emotionales Verhalten; Child; Kind; Kinder; Frühe Kindheit; Prädiktor; Empathie; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Ausland; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Statistische Analyse; Messinstrument; Gehirn; Altruistic behavior; Altruismus; Follow-up studies; Kontaktstudium; Fragebogen; Kanada
Abstract	Vagal tone is widely believed to be an important physiological aspect of emotion regulation and associated positive behaviors. However, there is inconsistent evidence for relations between children's baseline vagal tone and their helpful or prosocial responses to others (Hastings & Miller, 2014). Recent work in adults suggests a quadratic association (inverted U-shape curve) between baseline vagal tone and prosociality (Kogan et al., 2014). The present research examined whether this nonlinear association was evident in children. The authors found consistent evidence for a quadratic relation between vagal tone and prosociality across 3 samples of children using 6 different measures. Compared to low and high vagal tone, moderate vagal tone in early childhood concurrently predicted greater self-reported prosociality (Study 1), observed empathic concern in response to the distress of others and greater generosity toward less fortunate peers (Study 2), and longitudinally predicted greater self-, mother-, and teacher-reported prosociality 5.5 years later in middle childhood (Study 3). Taken together, the findings suggest that moderate vagal tone at rest represents a physiological preparedness or tendency to engage in different forms of prosociality across different contexts. Early moderate vagal tone may reflect an optimal balance of regulation and arousal that helps prepare children to sympathize, comfort, and share with others. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01