Poster #9 - Teacher-Child Relationships and Peer Success: Testing the Moderating Role of Physiological Reactivity to Avoidant Emotions

• In Event: Poster Session 01

Abstract

Biological Sensitivity to Context Theory (Boyce & Ellis, 2005) posits that children with greater physiological reactivity are more heavily influenced by both positive and negative aspects of their environment. Most research has examined environmental influences in the form of family context, with less attention to the school environment. Research suggests that the nature of the teacher-child relationship can be an important influence on emotional development of early school-aged children, and may help children navigate social relationships with new peers (Farmer et al., 2011). The current study examined whether physiological reactivity (as an index of sensitivity to context) moderated the association between teacher-child relationship quality (i.e., closeness and conflict) in kindergarten (K) and children’s social success in 1st grade. A diverse sample of 339 children (Mage = 66.32 months; SDage = 4.13 months; 70.2% Black; 64.3% male) were enrolled in the fall of their K year. Teachers reported on levels of closeness and conflict with their students using the Student-Teacher Relationships Scale (Pianta, 2001; r = -.47 between subscales) approximately 3 months into the school year. Peer nominations were collected in the spring of K and 1st grade to create social preferences scores. Physiological reactivity was measured in the fall during an emotion task where children viewed a series of emotional scenes from the movie The Lion King. Reactivity was computed as the difference between baseline RSA and the average RSA across the sad and fear film clips (positive reactivity scores indicated greater RSA withdrawal). These withdrawal-oriented emotions have been shown to relate to teacher reports of social withdrawal and internalizing symptoms (Fortunato et al., 2013; Kalvin et al., 2016) and are highly correlated with one another (r = .88). We hypothesized (1) a negative effect of teacher-child conflict and a positive effect of teacher-child closeness in growth in social success in 1st grade (controlling for social success in K) and 2) in line with Biological Sensitivity to Context Theory, emotional reactivity to avoidant emotions would interact with teacher-child relationships to predict peer success, such that high reactivity would predict worse peer outcomes among children experiencing high teacher conflict, but the best peer outcomes among children experiencing high teacher closeness. Results from a hierarchical linear regression indicated that both teacher closeness (β = .09, p < .001; F[5, 334] = 19.52, p < .001; R2 = .29) and conflict (β = -.09, p < .001; F[5, 334] = 27.03, p < .001; R2 = .37) significantly predicted peer success in predicted directions over one year later, beyond any effects of covariates. However, no significant interactions were found between physiological reactivity to avoidant emotions and teacher-child closeness and conflict. Findings from this study contribute to literature on teacher-child relationships promoting (or hindering) positive peer relationships, as well as preventions for children at-risk of peer difficulties in school.

Authors

• Danielle R. Rice, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Presenting Author

• Lisa M. Gatzke-Kopp, Pennsylvania State University, University Park