TY - JOUR
T1 - Disinhibited behaviors in young children
T2 - Relations with impulsivity and autonomic psychophysiology
AU - Muñoz, Luna C.
AU - Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, Xenia
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - Cardiac activity has long been considered as a psychophysiological marker of adaptive psychological adjustment. Irregularities in autonomic nervous system activity have long been implicated in both externalizing and disinhibitory behaviors. The present study used a battery of assessments in children ages 4.5-5.5 years to examine the relation among disinhibitory measures. Additionally, cardiovascular activity and reactivity was examined. Mothers rated impulsivity and internalizing/externalizing behaviors. Reward-dominance and passive-avoidance response inhibition (i.e., via errors of commission) tasks were included. Results showed that behaviorally uninhibited children began with an attenuated sympathetic response (i.e., lengthened pre-ejection period) to an interview with a novel experimenter, while inhibited children began with a high level of sympathetic activity. Further, behavioral impulsivity was related to low sympathetic activity at rest. Consistent with theories of disinhibition, externalizing behaviors and measures of behavioral impulsivity were related to a reward-dominant response style. Findings are discussed with regard to motivational theories of behavior.
AB - Cardiac activity has long been considered as a psychophysiological marker of adaptive psychological adjustment. Irregularities in autonomic nervous system activity have long been implicated in both externalizing and disinhibitory behaviors. The present study used a battery of assessments in children ages 4.5-5.5 years to examine the relation among disinhibitory measures. Additionally, cardiovascular activity and reactivity was examined. Mothers rated impulsivity and internalizing/externalizing behaviors. Reward-dominance and passive-avoidance response inhibition (i.e., via errors of commission) tasks were included. Results showed that behaviorally uninhibited children began with an attenuated sympathetic response (i.e., lengthened pre-ejection period) to an interview with a novel experimenter, while inhibited children began with a high level of sympathetic activity. Further, behavioral impulsivity was related to low sympathetic activity at rest. Consistent with theories of disinhibition, externalizing behaviors and measures of behavioral impulsivity were related to a reward-dominant response style. Findings are discussed with regard to motivational theories of behavior.
KW - Externalizing behaviors
KW - Impulsivity
KW - Pre-ejection period
KW - Respiratory sinus arrhythmia
KW - Temperament
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952313156&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.01.007
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.01.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 21291950
AN - SCOPUS:79952313156
SN - 0301-0511
VL - 86
SP - 349
EP - 359
JO - Biological Psychology
JF - Biological Psychology
IS - 3
ER -