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About this paper symposium
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| Panel 22. Social Relationships |
| Paper #1 | |||
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| Beneficial or Fostering Future Struggles? Adolescent Friendships Moderate the Association between Psychophysiological Regulation and Psychopathology | |||
| Author information | Role | ||
| Anna Leah Davis, University of South Carolina, USA | Presenting author | ||
| Michelle P. Brown, University of South Carolina, USA | Non-presenting author | ||
| Savannah Woods, University of South Carolina, USA | Non-presenting author | ||
| Abstract | |||
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Respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) is a marker of parasympathetic regulation that is related to psychopathology (Porges, 2003). Specifically, lower resting RSA and blunted or excessive withdrawal of RSA in response to stress is associated with mental health symptoms (Beauchaine et al., 2019; Campbell & Wisco, 2021). Peers are an integral part of adolescent development that both influence risks for psychopathology and may aid adolescent’s ability to regulate their psychophysiological stress response (Calhoun et al., 2014; Murray-Close, 2013; Stone et al., 2021). Therefore, peers may influence the association between RSA and psychopathology. This study investigates whether RSA predicts adolescent internalizing, externalizing, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and the potential moderating effect of friendship experiences. Preliminary analyses were conducted on N = 19 adolescents aged 13-17 years (M = 15.05; SD = 1.35) who completed the study with a best friend and a caregiver. The sample was majority non-Hispanic/Latino/a White (68.4%) and female (73.7%). RSA was recorded via electrocardiogram using a MindWare Mobile Cardio/GSR (Z0, dZ/dt, ECG, Resp, GSR, Activity) device with disposable EKG/ECG/ICG electrodes placed on the chest and abdomen while participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; Kirschbaum et al., 1993). The TSST is a widely used laboratory stressor during which participants are asked to prepare and deliver a speech in front of judges and complete an arithmetic task. We calculated participants’ average RSA during each 5-minute portion of the TSST (rest, prep, speech, arithmetic) and levels of withdrawal/reactivity (i.e., RSA during speech and arithmetic minus resting RSA). Participants were then randomly assigned to debrief with a friend or sit quietly for 5 minutes while average RSA was calculated. Psychopathology and friendship qualities were assessed via self-report using the Youth Self Report, UCLA PTSD Reaction Index, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Network of Relationships Inventory. We found that higher RSA during prep predicted fewer externalizing symptoms (B = -.47, p = .043). Lower RSA withdrawal during the speech and arithmetic tasks predicted fewer internalizing, externalizing, and PTSD symptoms (Bs = -.63 to -.52, ps = .005 to .028) whereas higher RSA withdrawal predicted more symptoms. There was a significant interaction between positive friendship qualities and resting RSA during rest and debrief. Specifically, higher RSA predicted more symptoms when friendships had more positive qualities and fewer symptoms when positive qualities were low (Bs = .05 to .06, ps = .003 to .022). Higher friend support similarly exacerbated the association between RSA at debrief and all symptoms (Bs = .26 to .33, ps = .004 to .033). See Figure 1. Conversely, higher resting RSA predicted more internalizing and externalizing symptoms at higher levels of negative friendship qualities (Bs = .10 to .11, ps = .048 to .050). See Figure 2. These findings suggest that excessive RSA withdrawal during stress may indicate higher psychopathology risk and that positive aspects of friendship that are expected to buffer this risk may exacerbate it. This suggests a need for more nuanced assessments of friendship (e.g., observed dyadic interactions) to clarify these findings. |
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| Paper #2 | |
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| Adolescents’ and Their Friends’ Autonomic Physiological Regulation Moderate the Association Between Co-Rumination and Depressive Symptoms | |
| Author information | Role |
| Sarah K. Borowski, Ph.D., Lehigh University, USA | Presenting author |
| Mina Zare, Lehigh University, USA | Non-presenting author |
| Gabriela Gonzalez, Lehigh University, USA | Non-presenting author |
| Chelsea Cortright, Lehigh University, USA | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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Co-rumination (i.e., repetitive, negatively-focused problem talk) is related to internalizing difficulties (Rose, 2021). Recent research indicates that the negative effects of co-rumination may be most apparent in adolescents who self-report dysregulated responses to stress (Tilton-Weaver & Rose, 2022). The current study tested whether adolescent friends’ physiological regulation affects the relation between co-rumination and depressive symptoms. Participants were 104 adolescents (Mage = 15.8; 75% girls, 19% boys, 3% nonbinary; 63% White, 22% Latinx, 13% Black, 11% Asian) who participated with a friend (52 dyads). Participants reported on co-rumination (Rose, 2002) and depressive symptoms (Children’s Depressive Inventory-2; Kovacs, 1992). Heartrate, respiration, and skin conductance were monitored during several tasks: an individual resting task followed by mirrored star tracing task (MST; e.g., Tu et al., 2017) and a paired resting task followed by the Problem Talk Task (PTT; Rose et al., 2014; 2016). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance levels (SCL) were computed offline using Mindware HRV and EDA. RSA reactivity (RSAR) and SCL reactivity (SCLR) change score were using the task and pre-task averages such that positive scores represented increases, and negative scores represented decreases. Actor Partner Interdependence Models (APIMs) were tested to determine whether adolescents’ and their friends’ co-rumination were associated with their depressive symptoms. Actor and partner physiological reactivity were included as main effects and tested as moderators of the effect of co-rumination on depressive symptoms. Separate APIMs were tested for each task (MST, PTT) and for each physiological index (RSAR, SLCR), resulting in four APIMs (see Table 1). Sex was covaried for in all analyses. In the model examining RSAR to the MST, the friend’s RSAR moderated the effect of the adolescent’s co-rumination on depressive symptoms such that when the friend demonstrated RSA augmentation during the MST, co-rumination was associated with greater depressive symptoms. When the friend demonstrated RSA withdrawal, co-rumination was associated with lower depressive symptoms (Figure 1a). There were no significant effects for SCLR. Analyses next considered the PTT. In the model examining RSAR, the adolescent’s RSAR was a significant moderator such that when adolescents demonstrated RSA augmentation, co-rumination was unrelated to their depressive symptoms. When adolescents demonstrated RSA withdrawal, co-rumination was associated with greater depressive symptoms (Figure 1b). For the model examining SCLR, there was a marginally significant interaction between the adolescent’s co-rumination with the adolescents SCLR and a significant interaction between the partner’s co-rumination with the partner’s SCLR. When adolescents demonstrated SCL increases, co-rumination was associated with greater depressive symptoms but not when they demonstrated SCL decreases (Figure 1c). Similarly, when friends demonstrated SCL increases, the friend’s co-rumination was associated with the adolescent’s depressive symptoms but not when the friend demonstrated SCL decreases (Figure 1d). Results suggest that co-rumination is associated with greater depressive symptoms when adolescents demonstrate patterns of autonomic physiological reactivity to problem talk that reflect heightened stress (i.e., RSA withdrawal, SCL increases). Moreover, results indicate that it is important to consider the friend’s physiological regulation (i.e., partner effects) and the context in which physiological regulation is assessed. |
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| Paper #3 | |
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| Peer Adjustment in Middle School: Mothers’ Advice and Youths’ Physiological Reactivity | |
| Author information | Role |
| Kelly M. Tu, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA | Presenting author |
| Virnaliz Jimenez, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA | Non-presenting author |
| Stephanie Gyuri Kim, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA | Non-presenting author |
| Mengyun Chen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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The middle school transition is often accompanied by heightened peer challenges given disruptions to youths’ social networks. Although parents remain important socialization agents, lab observations of how parents advise youth about peer challenges “in the real world,” beyond hypothetical scenarios or self-reports, have been understudied. We investigated mothers’ advice for managing peer problems during mother-youth conversations, focusing on engagement coping advice, including efforts to address the problem via problem-solving and adapt to the problem via cognitive reappraisal. Moreover, guided by biopsychosocial perspectives, youths’ physiological functioning may influence the effect of mothers’ advice on peer adjustment. Therefore, we tested youths’ respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity (RSAR, indicator of parasympathetic functioning) during mother-youth conversations as a moderator of the link between mothers’ advice and youths’ peer adjustment across the middle school transition. At T1, 100 youth (Mage = 11.05 years; 53% boys; 57% White) and their mothers (96% biological; 69% White) participated in a 5-minute conversation where mothers’ problem-solving and cognitive reappraisal advice were coded. Proportion scores (out of all advice given) were calculated (kappa = .93). Youths’ physiological functioning (RSA) was continuously measured during baseline and conversation. RSA (units = ln(ms)2) were quantified using spectral analysis method (Berntson et al., 1997) in 1-minute intervals (MindWare Technologies). Reactivity was computed (residualized change score from baseline to conversation) with higher scores reflecting RSA augmentation (maintain or increase in RSA from baseline to conversation). During mother-youth conversations, RSA augmentation reflects social engagement and perhaps lower perceptions of threat when discussing the peer problem, whereas RSA withdrawal (reduction in RSA, allowing for increase in arousal) reflects stress response and greater perceptions of threat/stress (Porges, 2007). At T1 and T2 (N = 89 at T2), youth rated their friendship quality (Parker & Asher, 1993) and loneliness (Asher & Wheeler, 1985); teachers rated youths’ peer acceptance (Dodge, 1986). Reliabilities ranged from .81 to .95. Regression results revealed no main effects, but youth RSAR significantly moderated the associations linking mothers’ advice with T2 youths’ friendship quality and loneliness, but not peer acceptance, controlling for covariates. Tests of simple slopes revealed that mothers’ problem-solving advice predicted higher T2 friendship quality (trend) and lower T2 loneliness for youth exhibiting RSA withdrawal (stress response pattern); no association emerged for RSA augmentation (Figure 1). Conversely, mothers’ cognitive reappraisal advice predicted lower T2 friendship quality (trend) and higher T2 loneliness for youth exhibiting RSA withdrawal but higher friendship quality for youth showing RSA augmentation (social engagement pattern; Figure 2). Thus, youths’ physiological reactivity during mother-youth conversations may inform the effectiveness of different advice—youth who demonstrate a physiological state of social engagement may be better able to utilize advice that requires more thought regarding adapting to the problem (cognitive reappraisal), whereas youth who demonstrate physiological stress response patterns may need more specific suggestions for what to do or say when faced with peer problems (problem-solving). These results highlight the need to consider the extent to which mothers’ advice is well-suited for youth with different physiological responses during conversations about peer challenges. |
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Implications of Adolescents’ Autonomic Physiological Reactivity for Close Friendships and Socioemotional Adjustment
Submission Type
Paper Symposium
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| Session Title | Implications of Adolescents’ Autonomic Physiological Reactivity for Close Friendships and Socioemotional Adjustment |