Gunnar Megan R, Sebanc Anne M, Tout Kathryn, Donzella Bonny, van Dulmen Manfred M
Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Dev Psychobiol. 2003 Dec;43(4):346-58. doi: 10.1002/dev.10144.
In this study, we examined a model that describes both direct and indirect pathways between children's temperament and activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis when children are in peer-group settings. We hypothesize that in peer-group settings both shy, inhibited and exuberant, undercontrolled children would exhibit higher cortisol levels, but these associations would operate through different pathways. Sociometric measures of peer rejection, salivary cortisol, and teacher reports of temperament were collected on 82 preschoolers. Children who were rejected by classmates had higher cortisol levels than the other children. The combination of Surgency and Poor Effortful Control (Effortful Control, reverse scored) was associated with elevated cortisol through a pathway mediated by aggressive interactions with peers and peer rejection. With the indirect path explained, the combination of Surgency and Poor Effortful Control also was directly and negatively associated with classroom cortisol levels. These results help explain why temperament associations with HPA activity have been variable and difficult to discern when children are assessed in peer-group contexts. In these contexts, both direct and indirect pathways between temperament and cortisol need to be examined.
在本研究中，我们考察了一个模型，该模型描述了儿童在同伴群体环境中，其气质与下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺（HPA）轴活动之间的直接和间接途径。我们假设，在同伴群体环境中，害羞、内向以及精力充沛、缺乏自控力的儿童都会表现出较高的皮质醇水平，但这些关联将通过不同的途径起作用。我们收集了82名学龄前儿童的同伴拒绝的社会测量指标、唾液皮质醇以及教师对气质的报告。被同学拒绝的儿童的皮质醇水平高于其他儿童。活力和低努力控制（努力控制，反向计分）的组合通过与同伴的攻击性行为和同伴拒绝介导的途径与皮质醇升高相关。在解释了间接途径后，活力和低努力控制的组合也与课堂皮质醇水平直接呈负相关。这些结果有助于解释为什么在同伴群体环境中评估儿童时，气质与HPA活动之间的关联一直变化不定且难以辨别。在这些环境中，需要考察气质与皮质醇之间的直接和间接途径。
