Dispositional empathy and physiological reactivity: joint contributions to maternal sensitivity with toddler-aged children

The present study investigated maternal dispositional empathy and skin conductance level (SCL) reactivity in response to infant emotional cues as joint predictors of maternal sensitive behavior with their toddler-aged children. Sixty-four mother-toddler dyads (31 boys) were observed during a series of interaction tasks during a laboratory visit, and maternal sensitivity was assessed from approximately 55 minutes of observation per family. Maternal SCL reactivity to infant cues using a cry-laugh audio paradigm (Groh & Roisman, 2009) was assessed in a second mother-only laboratory visit. Mothers reported on their dispositional empathy via a questionnaire. Greater dispositional empathy was related to greater sensitivity at low, but not high, levels of SCL reactivity. Parallel analyses examining self-reported negative emotion during the cry-laugh paradigm as the moderator further supported the finding that dispositional empathy emerged as a significant predictor of sensitivity when mothers’ experienced low, rather than high, reactivity. Results are discussed in terms of specificity to type of sensitivity (distress and non-distress) and by reactivity measure.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human & Community Development

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Emery, Helen

Contributors dc:contributor

• McElwain, Nancy L.

• Maternal sensitivity
• sensitive parenting toddler-aged children
• Dispositional empathy
• parental empathy
• skin conductance reactivity
• physiological reactivity to infant cues
• reactivity to infant cues

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Helen Emery

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/42344

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/42344