Smider N A, Essex M J, Kalin N H, Buss K A, Klein M H, Davidson R J, Goldsmith H H
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Child Dev. 2002 Jan-Feb;73(1):75-92. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00393.
This study, based on a sample of 172 children, examined the relation between average afternoon salivary cortisol levels measured at home at age 4.5 years and socioemotional adjustment a year and a half later, as reported by mothers, fathers, and teachers. Cortisol levels were hypothesized to be positively associated with withdrawal-type behaviors (e.g., internalizing, social wariness) and inversely related to approach-type behaviors, both negative and positive (e.g., externalizing, school engagement). Higher cortisol levels at age 4.5 predicted more internalizing behavior and social wariness as reported by teachers and mothers, although child gender moderated the relation between cortisol and mother report measures. An inverse relation was found between boys' cortisol levels and father report of externalizing behavior. A marginal inverse relation was found between child cortisol levels and teacher report of school engagement. Behavior assessed concurrently with cortisol collection did not account for the prospective relations observed,suggesting that cortisol adds uniquely to an understanding of behavioral development.
本研究以172名儿童为样本，考察了4.5岁时在家中测量的下午唾液皮质醇平均水平与一年半后母亲、父亲和教师报告的社会情绪调节之间的关系。研究假设皮质醇水平与退缩型行为（如内化、社交警惕）呈正相关，与积极和消极的趋近型行为（如外化、学校参与度）呈负相关。4.5岁时皮质醇水平较高预示着教师和母亲报告的内化行为和社交警惕性更高，尽管儿童性别调节了皮质醇与母亲报告测量之间的关系。男孩的皮质醇水平与父亲报告的外化行为呈负相关。儿童皮质醇水平与教师报告的学校参与度之间存在微弱的负相关。与皮质醇采集同时评估的行为并不能解释所观察到的前瞻性关系，这表明皮质醇为理解行为发展提供了独特的补充。
