Poster #7 - Infant Regulation: The Roles of Maternal and Paternal Parenting Behaviors and Regulation

• In Event: Poster Session 19

Abstract

Beginning in infancy, parents play a critical role in the development of child regulation. High parental sensitivity is associated with more adaptive infant physiological regulation (Gunning et al., 2013). Parent respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP), measures of reactive/regulatory capacity, contribute to parenting behaviors (i.e., Augustine & Leerkes, 2019) and child regulatory outcomes (i.e., Joosen et al., 2013; Moore et al., 2009). Research examining parent correlates of infant regulation has not included parent RSA/PEP co-activation/co-inhibition and have rarely included fathers in the sample (Richter & Lickenbrock, 2021). The present study examined whether parenting (parenting behaviors, parent RSA/PEP) predicted infant physiological regulation (RSA/PEP) with mothers and fathers.

Families participated in a larger longitudinal study when infants were 4, 6, and 8 months old (+/- 14 days). Parent-infant dyads participated in the Still-Face Paradigm (SFP, Tronick et al., 1978) while cardiac physiology was acquired. Parent/Infant RSA suppression and Parent/Infant PEP activation were calculated as change in RSA from the play to the still-face episode. Parental sensitivity/intrusiveness was rated during the SFP (Braungart-Rieker et al., 2015); higher scores indicated greater sensitivity/less intrusiveness. Parent-report of infant negative reactivity was also collected (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised; Gartstein & Rothbart); higher scores indicated greater infant negative reactivity.

Preliminary multiple regression analyses (n=87, missing data imputed using EM algorithm in SPSS) revealed different predictors of infant physiological regulation with mothers versus fathers. A significant father Sensitivity X father RSA suppression at 4/6 months interaction predicted infant RSA suppression at 8 months; for fathers who were low in RSA suppression, as father sensitivity increased, infant RSA suppression decreased (B=-.31, p=.04). Significant main effects of maternal Sensitivity (B=.97, p<.05) and Intrusiveness (B=.91, p<.05) at 4 months predicted infant RSA suppression at 8 months; infants of mothers who were high in sensitivity and low intrusiveness at 4 months were higher in RSA suppression at 8 months. Parent PEP activation did not significantly predict infant RSA suppression with fathers or mothers. Additional models will include additional dyads and infant PEP activation (data is still being processed). Current findings support the literature on mother-infant versus father-infant relationships and highlight the importance of examining differential predictors of infant physiological regulation with mothers and fathers.

Authors

• Diane M Lickenbrock, Western Kentucky University
  Presenting Author

• Alyssa Swift, Western Kentucky University

• Logan Rios, Western Kentucky University