Cited by 739Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroendocrine regulation and behaviorAttachment and Relationship Dynamics

Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the social buffering of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis: a review of animal models and human studies across development

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Hostinar, Camelia E., Sullivan, Regina M., Gunnar, Megan R.·2014·Psychological Bulletin

Abstract

Discovering the stress-buffering effects of social relationships has been one of the major findings in psychobiology in the last century. However, an understanding of the underlying neurobiological and psychological mechanisms of this buffering is only beginning to emerge. An important avenue of this research concerns the neurocircuitry that can regulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. The present review is a translational effort aimed at integrating animal models and human studies of the social regulation of the HPA axis from infancy to adulthood, specifically focusing on the process that has been named social buffering. This process has been noted across species and consists of a dampened HPA axis stress response to threat or challenge that occurs with the presence or assistance of a conspecific. We describe aspects of the relevant underlying neurobiology when enough information exists and expose major gaps in our understanding across all domains of the literatures we aimed to integrate. We provide a working conceptual model focused on the role of oxytocinergic systems and prefrontal neural networks as 2 of the putative biological mediators of this process, and propose that the role of early experiences is critical in shaping later social buffering effects. This synthesis points to both general future directions and specific experiments that need to be conducted to build a more comprehensive model of the HPA social buffering effect across the life span that incorporates multiple levels of analysis: neuroendocrine, behavioral, and social.

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  1. Gunnar MR 2001 Effects of early deprivation: Findings from orphanage-reared infants and children Nelson CA Luciana M Handbook of developmental cognitive neuroscience 617 629 Cambridge, MA MIT Press
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Authors
Hostinar, C. E., Sullivan, R. M., & Gunnar, M. R.
Affiliations
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • NYU Langone Health (US)
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Published
2014-01
Volume
140
Issue
1
Pages
256-282
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
OpenAlex
W1984112630
Cited by
739
References
280
Citations by year
2026: 72 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 56 · 2021: 74 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 63 · 2017: 55 · 2016: 79 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 5
FWCI
23.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Sponsor name not included
  • National Institutes of Health (DC009910 and MH091451, MH080905 and MH078105)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Keywords
social buffering, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, stress response, oxytocinergic system, early life experience, interpersonal relationships, neuroendocrine regulation, lifespan development, animal models, conceptual model
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Interpersonal Relations, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Prefrontal Cortex

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