Zoe E. Taylor

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, effortful control, and parenting as predictors of children’s sympathy across early childhood.

The goal of this study was to examine physiological and environmental predictors of childrens sympathy (an emotional response consisting of feelings of concern or sorrow for others who are distressed or in need) and whether temperamental effortful control mediated these relations. Specifically, in a study of 192 children (23% Hispanic; 54% male), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure thought to reflect physiological regulation, and observed authoritative parenting (both at 42 months) were examined as predictors of childrens effortful control (at 54 months) and, in turn, childrens sympathy (at 72 and 84 months). Measures of both baseline RSA and RSA suppression were examined. In a structural equation model, observed parenting was positively related to childrens subsequent sympathy through its positive relation to effortful control. Furthermore, the indirect path from baseline RSA to higher sympathy through effortful control was marginally significant. Authoritative parenting and baseline RSA uniquely predicted individual differences in childrens effortful control. Findings highlight the potential role of both authoritative parenting and physiological regulation in the development of childrens sympathy.

Transitioning From High School to College Relations of Social Support, Ego-Resiliency, and Maladjustment During Emerging Adulthood

During the transition from high school to college, youths navigate increasingly adult roles, take on new academic and economic responsibilities, and forge new social networks. We examined longitudinal relations among internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety), perceived social support, and the personality trait of ego-resiliency across three time points at the end of high school and during the first year of college (N = 82). Internalizing symptoms were concurrently negatively correlated with perceived social support from friends and family as well as with ego-resiliency, and ego-resiliency was positively, concurrently correlated with perceived social support from friends. Across time, internalizing symptoms were negatively associated with perceived social support from friends, whereas ego-resiliency was positively associated with perceived social support from family. Findings demonstrate the potential importance of coping resources for youths’ mental health and highlight the negative associations between internalizing symptoms and later perceptions of social support during this transitional stage.

Dispositional Optimism: A Psychological Resource for Mexican-Origin Mothers Experiencing Economic Stress

Dispositional optimism is believed to be an important psychological resource that buffers families against the deleterious consequences of economic adversity. Using data from a longitudinal study of Mexican-origin families (N = 674), we tested a family stress model specifying that maternal dispositional optimism and economic pressure affect maternal internalizing symptoms, which, in turn, affects parenting behaviors and childrens social adjustment. As predicted, maternal optimism and economic pressure had both independent and interactive effects on maternal internalizing symptoms, and the effects of these variables on changes over time in child social adjustment were mediated by nurturant and involved parenting. The findings replicate and extend previous research on single-parent African American families (Taylor, Larsen-Rife, Conger, Widaman, & Cutrona, 2010), and demonstrate the generalizability of the positive benefits of dispositional optimism in another ethnic group and type of family structure.

Children’s Negative Emotions and Ego-Resiliency: Longitudinal Relations With Social Competence

We examined the relations of negative emotions in toddlerhood to the development of ego-resiliency and social competence across early childhood. Specifically, we addressed whether fear and anger/frustration in 30-month-old children (N = 213) was associated with the development of ego-resiliency across 4 time points (42 to 84 months), and, in turn, whether ego-resiliency predicted social competence at 84 months. Child anger/frustration negatively predicted the intercept of ego-resiliency at 42 months (controlling for prior ego-resiliency at 18 months) as well as the slope. Fear did not significantly predict either the intercept or slope of ego-resiliency in the structural model, although it was positively correlated with anger/frustration and was negatively related to ego-resiliency in zero-order correlations. The slope of ego-resiliency was positively related to childrens social competence at 84 months; however, the intercept of ego-resiliency (set at 42 months) was not a significant predictor of later social competence. Furthermore, the slope of ego-resiliency mediated the relations between anger/frustration and childrens later social competence. The results suggest that individual differences in anger/frustration might contribute to the development of ego-resiliency, which, in turn, is associated with childrens social competence.

Risk and Resilience Processes in Single-Mother Families: An Interactionist Perspective

The developmental consequences of economic hardship and poverty for family functioning and child and adolescent adjustment continue to be of concern to developmentalists and policy makers. Economic changes in the United States during the past two decades, such as increasing income inequality, have renewed interest in how social position and economic resources affect families and the development of children (Conger & Donnellan, 2007). Research shows that more socially and economically disadvantaged adults and children are at higher risk for physical, emotional, and behavioral problems (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002; Conger, Conger, & Martin, 2010; McLoyd, 1998; Schoon, Sacker, & Bartley, 2003). Also important, it is increasingly evident that the family acts as a conduit for socioeconomic influences on the development of children and adolescents (e.g., Repetti, Taylor, & Seeman, 2002). Two dominant perspectives have been proposed to explain the nature of the relationships among contextual stressors, family functioning, and child development. The first, social causation, proposes that variations in environmental conditions, such as poverty or social support, lead to differences in social, emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning. In contrast the social selection perspective argues that differences in individual traits or characteristics account for the associations among adverse life events, family functioning, and life course development (Conger & Donnellan, 2007).

Effortful Control as a Mediator Between Contextual Stressors and Adjustment in Midwestern Latino Youth.

The challenges of transitioning into adolescence may be exacerbated for Latino youth whom, on average, often experience additional unique stressors such as discrimination and poverty. However, self-regulation traits, such as effortful control, could protect youth against the negative effects of stressors. Using a resilience framework, we examined the relations of multicultural stressors on depressive and externalizing problems in Latino youth, and tested if effortful control counteracted these relations. We hypothesized that stressors would positively predict depressive and externalizing problems, but that effortful control would compensate against these risks. Latino families with a fifth-grade child (N = 57, mean age = 10.5, 57.9% female, 83% two-parent) living in the Midwest were recruited utilizing community resources. Data were cross-sectionally analyzed using structural equation modeling in Mplus. Stressors were positively associated with depressive and externalizing problems, whereas effortful control had negative direct effects on maladjustment. Results suggest that effortful control may help counteract contextual risks commonly experienced by Latino youth. Los retos de la transición a la adolescencia pueden ser exacerbados para los jóvenes Latinos que, en promedio, tienen experiencias adicionales de estresores únicos tales como la discriminación y la pobreza. Sin embargo, características de la regulación de la emoción, tal como el control esforzado de la atención, pueden proteger a los jóvenes de los efectos negativos del estrés. Objetivos: Usando un marco de resistencia, examinamos las relaciones de los estresores multiculturales con los síntomas depresivos y externalizantes en jóvenes Latinos, y probamos si el control esforzado contrariara estas relaciones. Nuestra hipótesis fue que estresores predecirían positivamente síntomas depresivos, pero que el control esforzado compensaría contra estos riesgos. Métodos: Familias Latinas con hijo/a en el quinto grado (N = 57, edad media = 10.5, 54% niñas, 83% con ambos padres) viviendo en el Medio Oeste fueron reclutadas utilizando recursos de la comunidad. Los datos fueron analizados transversalmente usando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales en MPlus. Resultados: Estresores fueron positivamente asociados con síntomas depresivos y externalizantes mientras que el control esforzado tuvo efectos directos negativos sobre la inadaptación. Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren que el control esforzado puede ayudar a proteger a jóvenes Latinos contra riesgos contextuales comunes.

Cumulative Family Stress and Diurnal Cortisol Responses in Midwest Latino Families

Latino youth and their families have been shown to experience higher levels of stressors than the general population, as well as additional unique stressors such as racism, poverty, acculturation, and discrimination. Chronic or cumulative stress often disrupts physiological systems and can lead to dysregulation in diurnal cortisol responses. This study examined the associations between family stress and cortisol responses in 57 Latino mother-adolescent dyads (N = 114) living in the Midwestern United States. Dyads collected saliva 6 times across two consecutive days and completed a survey. Results from repeated measures mixed-effect analysis found that both mothers and adolescents in the high-stress group had flatter cortisol awakening responses than those in the low-stress group, which indicated disruptions in their diurnal cortisol rhythms. These findings suggest that family stress can potentially influence the diurnal cortisol patterns of early Latino adolescents as well as adults, which may, in turn, lead to future health problems.

Contextual stressors and the mental health outcomes of Latino children in rural migrant-farmworker families in the midwest.

Children in Latino migrant-farmworker (LMFW) families are a unique rural population who are at high risk for health disparities because of exposure to a high number of stressors. Despite these vulnerabilities, little is known about the mental health of this population of children. In the present cross-sectional exploratory study, we examined the effects of stressors on the mental health of children in LMFW families. Participants were school-aged Latino children ages 6–18 (N = 80, 54.5% male, mean age = 11.71) who participated in a summer migrant education program at 2 locations in Indiana. Using regression analyses, we assessed how specific contextual stressors (i.e., loneliness, economic hassles, and discrimination) related to self- and teacher-reported anxiety and depressive problems. Results revealed that children and youth were above established norms for self-reported anxiety and depression. Loneliness, economic hassles, and discrimination were positively associated with child-reported anxiety. Child report of language hassles and economic stress also were positively associated with teacher reports of child anxiety. Child-reported depression demonstrated patterns similar to anxiety. Teacher-reported social problems and child-reported economic hassles were linked to teacher reports of children’s depressive problems. These findings suggest that economic hardship and discrimination may be particularly salient stressors for children in LMFW families, in that they contribute to children’s mental health problems. Such vulnerabilities may have long-term effects on the future health, well-being, and success of these children. Future researchers should identify factors that have the potential to buffer children in LMFW families from poor mental health.

Associations Between Effortful Control, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Depressive Problems in Latino Preadolescents

The present study examined associations between effortful control, a trait marker of self-regulation, adaptive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system functioning (as reflected by the cortisol awakening response [CAR]), and concurrent and longitudinal depressive problems, in a sample of preadolescent Latino youth (N = 119, mean age = 11.53 years, 59% girls). We hypothesized that trait readiness for self-regulation (specifically effortful control) could be related to physiological state readiness for self-regulation (as measured using the Cortisol Awakening Response or CAR), and that both may counter depressive problems. We found that youth’s CAR was positively associated with effortful control, and negatively with youth depressive problems. Effortful control and youth depressive problems were also negatively associated. Longitudinal relations of CAR and effortful control on depressive problems at T2 were not significant in the structural equation model after controlling for T1 depressive problems, although these variables were significant in the bivariate correlations. Results suggest that both trait regulation and physiological regulation may counter depressive problems in Latino youth.