Parent‐Reported Toddler Dysregulation and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Predict Trajectories of Childhood Externalizing Behaviors

Bibliographic Data

ID9685952
AuthorsMichelle L Ramos (0000-0002-4388-0656, Department of Psychology The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA, corresponding author), Anna M Zhou (0000-0003-3407-625X, Department of Psychiatry University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora Colorado USA), Kimberly A Bu (0000-0001-5692-6126, Department of Psychology The Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA), Kristin A Buss
Year2025
Volume67
Issue3
Pagese70048-e70048
Publication date2025-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopmental Psychobiology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-1630 • E-ISSN: 1098-2302
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/dev.70048
PMID40341499
OpenAlexW4410209184
LanguageEN
References cited99

Externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression, oppositionality, conduct problems) typically peak then decrease across early childhood (ages 2–5). However, some children continue to exhibit elevated levels of externalizing behavior throughout childhood, which can have implications for later socioemotional difficulties. Emotion regulation (ER) is an early predictor of continuity in externalizing behaviors. Toddlers with poor ER are more likely to exhibit externalizing behaviors during childhood. Additionally, individual differences in resting autonomic nervous system activity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) reflect the capacity for physiological regulation and therefore may moderate associations between early dysregulation and later externalizing behaviors. Therefore, the current study ( n = 174) examined the interaction between 18‐month toddler behavioral dysregulation and resting RSA in the prediction of externalizing behaviors across early childhood (ages 4–6). Toddlers high in behavioral dysregulation and with lower RSA showed increased levels of externalizing behaviors across early childhood. Toddlers with higher RSA showed decreasing levels of externalizing behaviors across early childhood. These results highlight the importance of using multimethod approaches that capture different dimensions of regulation when examining the role of regulation in externalizing behaviors as the capacity for early physiological regulation may interfere with behavioral regulation to influence the express of later problematic behavior

Aggression · Autonomic nervous system · Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Emotional dysregulation · Heart rate · Socioemotional selectivity theory · Toddler · Vagal tone · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Endocrinology · Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control · Infant Health and Development · Medicine · Psychology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access