Parasympathetic and sympathetic responses to the strange situation in infants and mothers from avoidant and securely attached dyads
Abstract
Vagal reactivity and salivary α‐amylase (sAA) were assessed in infants (M age = 13.55 months) and their mothers during the Strange Situation Paradigm (SSP) to investigate differences in physiological responses in a sample of insecure‐avoidant and securely‐attached dyads ( N = 132). Infants classified as insecure‐avoidant had significantly higher vagal withdrawal during the SSP and higher sAA overall, suggesting that the avoidant attachment pattern is associated with a greater allostatic load. During separation episodes of the SSP, all mothers showed significant vagal withdrawal, suggesting greater attempts at regulation. During the last reunion, typically the most stressful episode for infants, mothers of secure infants showed greater vagal withdrawal than mothers of insecure‐avoidant infants, suggesting greater attempts by these mothers at interactive repair. Results for mothers and infants supported the allostatic load theory. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 361–376, 2008.
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The same physiological processes that characterize the relaxation response occur in the context of secure attachment and mother-child dyads, which provide a foundation for compassion.
“The same physiological processes that characterize the relaxation response have been shown to occur in the context of secure attachment and mother-child dyads, which provide a foundation for compassion (Fricchione, 2011; Hill-Soderlund et al, 2008; Mikulincer, Shaver, Gillath, & Nitzberg, 2005; Oosterman, De Schipper, Fisher, Dozier, & Schuengel, 2010).”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors (2018) · cites this paper as Hill-Soderlund et al, 2008
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References 101 · Cited by 178
- Authors
- Hill‐Soderlund, A. L., Mills‐Koonce, W. R., Propper, C., Calkins, S. D., Granger, D. A., Moore, G. A., Gariepy, J., & Cox, M. J.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (US)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hill‐Soderlund, Ashley L.
- Venue
- Developmental Psychobiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-04-04
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 361-376
- ISSN
- 0012-1630 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2302
- OpenAlex
- W2134450794
- Cited by
- 178
- References
- 101
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 13.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Psychobiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5f32mh070192-02)
- National Institute of Mental Health (1 F32 MH070192-01A2)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- insecure-avoidant attachment, secure attachment, Strange Situation, vagal withdrawal, salivary amylase, allostatic load, maternal regulation, autonomic reactivity
- MeSH terms
- alpha-Amylases, Avoidance Learning, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Object Attachment, Parasympathetic Nervous System, Salivary Glands, Social Environment, Stress, Psychological, Sympathetic Nervous System, Vagus Nerve
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