Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-18T22:39:57.647Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Family risk, parental cortisol contagion, and parenting: A process-oriented approach to spillover

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2024

Zhi Li*
Affiliation:
University of Rochester & Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, USA
Melissa L. Sturge-Apple
Affiliation:
University of Rochester & Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, USA
Hannah G. Swerbenski
Affiliation:
University of Rochester & Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, USA
Siwei Liu
Affiliation:
University of California, Davis, USA
Patrick T. Davies
Affiliation:
University of Rochester & Mt. Hope Family Center, Rochester, USA
*
Corresponding Author: Zhi Li, email: zhi_li@urmc.rochester.edu

Abstract

This multi-method longitudinal study sought to investigate linkage in parental neuroendocrine functioning – indicated by cortisol – over two measurement occasions. In addition, we examined how parental cortisol linkage may operate as an intermediate factor in the cascade of contextual risks and parenting. Participants were 235 families with a young child (Mage = 33.56, 36.00 years for mothers and fathers respectively), who were followed for two annual measurement occasions. Parental cortisol linkage was measured around a laboratory conflict discussion task at both measurement occasions (i.e., pre-discussion, 20- and 40-minute post-discussion for each measurement occasion). Maternal and paternal parenting behavior was observed during a parent-child discipline discussion task. Findings indicated similar levels of cortisol linkage between parents over the two measurement occasions. Furthermore, cortisol linkage between parents operated as an intermediate factor between contextual risks and more compromised parenting behavior. That is, greater contextual risks, indicated by greater neighborhood risk and interparental conflict, were linked to greater cortisol linkage between parents over time, which was in turn linked to greater authoritarian parenting during parent-child interaction. Findings highlighted the importance of understanding physiological-linkage processes with respect to the impact of contextual risks on family functioning and may have crucial implications for clinical work.

Type
Regular Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barajas-Gonzalez, R. G., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2014). Income, neighborhood stressors, and harsh parenting: Test of moderation by ethnicity, age, and gender. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(6), 855866. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038242 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Belsky, J., Youngblade, L., Rovine, M., & Volling, B. (1991). Patterns of marital change and parent-child interaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 53(2), 487498. https://doi.org/10.2307/352914 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bornstein, M. C., & Zlotnik, D. (2009). Parenting styles and their effects. In Benson, J. B., & Hiath, M. M. (Eds.), Social and emotional development in infancy and early childhood (pp. 280292). Elsevier.Google Scholar
Braren, S. H., Brandes-Aitken, A., Ribner, A., Perry, R. E., & Blair, C. (2020). Maternal psychological stress moderates diurnal cortisol linkage in expectant fathers and mothers during late pregnancy. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 111, 104474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104474 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brody, G. H., Lei, M.-K., Chen, E., & Miller, G. E. (2014). Neighborhood poverty and allostatic load in African American youth. Pediatrics, 134(5), e1362e1368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P.A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Series eds.) & R. M. Lerner (Vol. ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 793828). John Wiley.Google Scholar
Chen, M.-T., Lin, G.-X., Lu, C., & Chang, Y.-P. (2022). Good parents: Parent relationship satisfaction predicts parenting efficacy for young children. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 17(4), 24052422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10043-1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chung, H. L., & Steinberg, L. (2006). Relations between neighborhood factors, parenting behaviors, peer deviance, and delinquency among serious juvenile offenders. Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 319331. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.2.319 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coley, R. L. (2001). (In)visible men: Emerging research on low-income, unmarried, and minority fathers. American Psychologist, 56(9), 743753. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.9.743 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cuellar, J., Jones, D. J., & Sterrett, E. (2015). Examining parenting in the neighborhood context: A review. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(1), 195219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9826-y CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, P. T., Martin, M. J., Sturge-Apple, M. L., Ripple, M. T., & Cicchetti, D. (2016). The distinctive sequelae of children’s coping with interparental conflict: Testing the reformulated emotional security theory. Developmental Psychology, 52(10), 16461665. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000170 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, P. T., Sturge-Apple, M. L., Cicchetti, D., & Cummings, E. M. (2007). The role of child adrenocortical functioning in pathways between interparental conflict and child maladjustment. Developmental Psychology, 43(4), 918930. https://doi.org/10.1037%2F0012-1649.43.4.918 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, P. T., Sturge-Apple, M. L., & Cummings, E. M. (2004). Interdependencies among interparental discord and parenting practices: The role of adult vulnerability and relationship perturbations. Development and Psychopathology, 16(3), 773797. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579404004778 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, P. T., Sturge-Apple, M. L., Woitach, M. J., & Cummings, E. M. (2009). A process analysis of the transmission of distress from interparental conflict to parenting: Adult relationship security as an explanatory mechanism. Developmental Psychology, 45(6), 17611773. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016426 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deater-Deckard, K., & Dodge, K. A. (1997). Externalizing behavior problems and discipline revisited: Nonlinear effects and variation by culture, context, and gender. Psychological Inquiry, 8(3), 161175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DePasquale, C. E. (2020). A systematic review of caregiver-child physiological synchrony across systems: Associations with behavior and child functioning. Development and Psychopathology, 32(5), 17541777. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420001236 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DeSantis, A. S., Adam, E. K., Doane, L. D., Mineka, S., Zinbarg, R. E., & Craske, M. G. (2007). Racial/ethnic differences in cortisol diurnal rhythms in a community sample of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(1), 313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.03.006 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dickerson, S. S., & Kemeny, M. E. (2004). Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research. Psychological Bulletin, 130(3), 355391. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.355 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flanagan, J. C., Fischer, M. S., Nietert, P. J., Back, S. E., Maria, M. M.-S., Snead, A., & Brady, K. T. (2018). Effects of oxytocin on cortisol reactivity and conflict resolution behaviors among couples with substance misuse. Psychiatry Research, 260, 346352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Giurgescu, C., Zenk, S. N., Dancy, B. L., Park, C. G., Dieber, W., & Block, R. (2012). Relationships among neighborhood environment, racial discrimination, psychological distress, and preterm birth in African American women. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 41(6), E51E61. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1552-6909.2012.01409.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gunnar, M. R., & Vazquez, D. M. (2001). Low cortisol and a flattening of expected daytime rhythm: Potential indices of risk in human development. Development and Psychopathology, 13(3), 515538. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579401003066 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guterman, N. B., Lee, S. J., Taylor, C. A., & Rathouz, P. J. (2009). Parental perceptions of neighborhood processes, stress, personal control, and risk for physical child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33(12), 897906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.09.008 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Helm, J. L., Miller, J. G., Kahle, S., Troxel, N. R., & Hastings, P. D. (2018). On measuring and modeling physiologicla synchrony in dyads. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 53(4), 521543. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2018.1459292 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hibel, L. C., Granger, D. A., Blair, C., Finegood, E. D., & The Family Life Project Key Investigators (2015). Maternal-child adrenocortical attunement in early childhood: Continuity and change. Developmental Psychobiology, 57(1), 8395. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21266 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hibel, L. C., & Mercado, E. (2019). Marital conflict predicts mother-to-infant adrenocortical transmission. Child Development, 90(1), e80e95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hox, J. J., Maas, C. J. M., & Brinkhuis, M. J. S. (2010). The effect of estimation method and sample size in multilevel structural equation modeling. Statistica Neerlandica, 64(2), 157170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jokela, M. (2020). Neighborhoods, psychological distress, and the quest for causality. Current Opinion in Psychology, 32, 2226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.06.009 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones-Gordils, H. R., Sturge-Apple, M. L., & Davies, P. T. (2021). Maternal executive functions, maternal discipline, and children’s school readiness: A process oriented approach. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30(6), 13931405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khaled, M., Corner, G. W., Morris, A., Havaldar, S., Luo, E., & Saxbe, D. E. (2021). Physiological linkage in pregnancy: Couples’ cortisol, negative conflict behavior, and postpartum depression. Biological Psychology, 161, 108075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108075 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiel, E. J., & Buss, K. A. (2013). Toddler inhibited temperament, maternal cortisol reactivity and embarrassment, and intrusive parenting. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(3), 512517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirby, D., Coyle, K., & Gould, J. B. (2001). Manifestations of poverty and birthrates among young teenagers in California zip code areas. Family Planning Perspectives, 33(2), 6369. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673751 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krishnakumar, A., & Buehler, C. (2000). Interparental conflict and parenting behaviors: A meta-analytic review. Family Relations, 49(1), 2544. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00025.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kwon, K.-A., Han, S., Jeon, H.-J., & Bingham, G. E. (2013). Mothers’ and fathers’ parenting challenges, strategies, and resources in toddlerhood. Early Child Development and Care, 183(3-4), 415429. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2012.711591 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levenson, R. W., & Gottman, J. M. (1983). Marital interaction: Physiological linkage and affective exchange. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(3), 587597. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.45.3.587 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, Z., Sturge-Apple, M. L., & Davies, P. T. (2021). Family context in association with the development of child sensory processing sensitivity. Developmental Psychology, 57(12), 21652178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, Z., Sturge-Apple, M. L., Jones-Gordils, H. R., & Davies, P. T. (2022). Sensory processing sensitivity behavior moderates the association between environmental harshness, unpredictability, and child socioemotional functioning. Development and Psychopathology, 34(2), 675688. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579421001188 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liu, S., Kuppens, P., & Bringmann, L. (2021). On the use of empirical bayes estimates as measures of individual traits. Assessment, 28(3), 845857. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191119885019 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liu, S., Rovine, M. J., Cousino Klein, L., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). Synchrony of diurnal cortisol pattern in couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(4), 579588. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033735 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maccoby, E. E. (1994). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. In Parke, R. D., Ornstein, P. A., Rieser, J. J., & Zahn-Waxler, C. (Eds.), A century of developmental psychology (pp. 589615). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10155-021 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malik, N. M., & Lindahl, K. M. (2004). System for coding interactions in dyads. In Couple observational coding systems. Routledge.Google Scholar
Marsiglio, W., Day, R. D., & Lamb, M. E. (2000). Exploring fatherhood diversity. Marriage & Family Review, 29(4), 269293. https://doi.org/10.1300/J002v29n04_03 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martorell, G. A., & Bugental, D. B. (2006). Maternal variations in stress reactivity: Implications for harsh parenting practices with very young children. Journal of Family Psychology, 20(4), 641647. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.20.4.641 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McEwen, B. S. (2002). Sex, stress and the hippocampus: allostasis, allostatic load and the aging process. Neurobiology of Aging, 23(5), 921939.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McEwen, B. S., & Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual: Mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153(18), 20932101. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1993.00410180039004 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mercado, E., & Hibel, L. C. (2017). I love you from the bottom of my hypothalamus: The role of stress physiology in romantic pair bond formation and maintenance. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(2), e12298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, D., & Sledge, R. (2020). The potential role of cortisol as a biomarker of physiological interdependence in romantic couples: A systematic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 121, 104834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104834 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mills-Koonce, W. R., Propper, C., Gariepy, J. L., Barnett, M., Moore, G. A., Calkins, S., & Cox, M. J. (2009). Psychophysiological correlates of parenting behavior in mothers of young children. Developmental Psychobiology: The Journal of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 51(8), 650661.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Minuchin, P. (1985). Families and individual development: Provocations from the field of family therapy. Child Development, 56(2), 289302. https://doi.org/10.2307/1129720 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998-2011). Mplus user’s guide: Statistical analysis with latent variables (7th edn). Muthén & Muthén.Google Scholar
Papp, L. M., Drastal, K. C., Lorang, E. K., & Hartley, S. L. (2020). Mother-father physiological synchrony during conflict and moderation by parenting challenges: Findings from parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Families, Systems, & Health, 38(4), 476481. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000525 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Papp, L. M., Pendry, P., Simon, C. D., & Adam, E. K. (2013). Spouses’ cortisol associations and moderators: Testing physiological synchrony and connectedness in everyday life. Family Process, 52(2), 284298. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2012.01413.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pauly, T., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2021). You’re under my skin: Long-term relationship and health correlates of cortisol synchrony in older couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(1), 6979. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000809 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pauly, T., Michalowski, V. I., Drewelies, J., Gerstorf, D., Ashe, M. C., Madden, K. M., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2020). Cortisol synchrony in older couples: Daily socioemotional correlates and interpersonal differences. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(7), 669677. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000838 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Powers, S. I., Pietromonaco, P. R., Gunlicks, M., & Sayer, A. (2006). Dating couples' attachment styles and patterns of cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to a relationship conflict. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(4), 613628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preacher, K. J., Zyphur, M. J., & Zhang, Z. (2010). A general multilevel SEM framework for assessing multilevel mediation. Psychological Methods, 3, 209233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Repetti, R. L., Taylor, S. E., & Seeman, T. E. (2002). Risky families: family social environments and the mental and physical health of offspring. Psychological Bulletin, 128(2), 330366. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.128.2.330.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ribeiro, A. I., Amaro, J., Lisi, C., & Fraga, S. (2018). Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and allostatic load: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), 1092.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robinette, J. W., Charles, S. T., Almeida, D. M., & Gruenewald, T. L. (2016). Neighborhood features and physiological risk: An examination of allostatic load. Health & Place, 41, 110118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saxbe, D., & Repetti, R. L. (2010). For better or worse? Coregulation of couples’ cortisol levels and mood states. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(1), 92103. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016959 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saxbe, D. E., Adam, E. K., Schetter, C. D., Guardino, C. M., Simon, C., McKinney, C. O., & Shalowitz, M. U. (2015). Cortisol covariation within parents of young children: Moderation by relationship aggression. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 62, 121128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.006 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saxbe, D. E., Beckes, L., Stoycos, S. A., & Coan, J. A. (2020). Social allostasis and social allostatic load: A new model for research in social dynamics, stress, and health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(2), 469482. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619876528 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saxbe, D. E., Edelstein, R. S., Lyden, H. M., Wardecker, B. M., Chopik, W. J., & Moors, A. C. (2017). Fathers’ decline in testosterone and synchrony with partner testosterone during pregnancy predicts greater postpartum relationship investment. Hormones and Behavior, 90, 3947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.07.005 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saxbe, D. E., Margolin, G., Spies Shapiro, L., Ramos, M., Rodriguez, A., & Iturralde, E. (2014). Relative influences: Patterns of HPA axis concordance during triadic family interaction. Health Psychology, 33(3), 273281. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033509 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Altenburger, L. E., Lee, M. A., Bower, D. J., & Kamp Dush, C. M. (2015). Who are the gatekeepers? Predictors of maternal gatekeeping. Parenting, 15(3), 166186. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2015.1053321 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schulz, A., & Northridge, M. E. (2004). Social determinants of health: Implications for environmental health promotion. Health Education & Behavior, 31(4), 455471. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198104265598 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schwartz, E. B., Granger, D. A., Susman, E. J., Gunnar, M. R., & Laird, B. (1998). Assessing salivary cortisol in studies of child development. Child Development, 69(6), 15031513.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stansbury, K., & Gunnar, M. R. (1994). Adrenocortical activity and emotion regulation. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59(2-3), 108134. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5834.1994.tb01280.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Straus, M. A., & Fauchier, A. (2007). Dimensions of discipline inventory. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ft37478-000 Google Scholar
Sturge-Apple, M. L., Davies, P. T., Cicchetti, D., & Cummings, E. M. (2009). The role of mothers’ and fathers’ adrenocortical reactivity in spillover between interparental conflict and parenting practices. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(2), 215225. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014198 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sturge-Apple, M. L., Davies, P. T., & Cummings, E. M. (2006). Hostility and withdrawal in marital conflict: Effects on parental emotional unavailability and inconsistent discipline. Journal of Family Psychology, 20(2), 227238. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.20.2.227 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sturge-Apple, M. L., Jacques, D. T., Davies, P. T., & Cicchetti, D. (2022). Maternal power assertive discipline and children’s adjustment in high-risk families: A social domain theory approach. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(9), 23192330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02127-7 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szepsenwol, O., Simpson, J. A., Griskevicius, V., & Raby, K. L. (2015). The effect of unpredictable early childhood environments on parenting in adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(6), 10451067. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000032 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Theall, K. P., Drury, S. S., & Shirtcliff, E. A. (2012). Cumulative neighborhood risk of psychosocial stress and allostatic load in adolescents. American Journal of Epidemiology, 176(suppl_7), S164S174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, L., & Walker, A. J. (1989). Gender in families: Women and men in marriage, work, and parenthood. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51(4), 845871.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Timmons, A. C., Margolin, G., & Saxbe, D. E. (2015). Physiological linkage in couples and its implications for individual and interpersonal functioning: A literature review. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(5), 720731. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000115 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williford, A. P., Calkins, S. D., & Keane, S. P. (2007). Predicting change in parenting stress across early childhood: Child and maternal factors. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35(2), 251263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-006-9082-3 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Li et al. supplementary material

Li et al. supplementary material
Download Li et al. supplementary material(File)
File 64.7 KB