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Cited by 58Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroendocrine regulation and behaviorChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Gender- and age-related differences in the association between social relationship quality and trait levels of salivary cortisol

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Booth, Alan, Granger, Douglas A., Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A.·2008·Journal of Research on Adolescence
DOI 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2008.00559.x
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Abstract

The majority of studies linking individual differences in the quality of social relationships and activity of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis have focused on the early development of attachment between infants and their caregivers. Later in development, during middle childhood and adolescence, the parallel HPA links to age‐appropriate social relationships with peers, parents, and siblings remain largely unspecified. This study addressed this knowledge gap. Early morning saliva samples were obtained from 367 children in middle childhood (ages 6–10) and 357 adolescents (M age=11–16 years) on two successive days 1 year apart and assayed for cortisol. Latent state–trait modeling was employed to separate variance in cortisol levels attributable to “stable trait‐like” versus “state or situational specific” sources to minimize the high moment‐to‐moment variation in basal adrenocortical activity. During adolescence but not middle childhood, and for girls but not boys, lower levels of “trait cortisol” were associated with poor quality social relationships. The pattern was robust, extending to the quality of relationships with parents, siblings, and peers. Importantly, the relationship was independent of the rates of internalizing or externalizing problem behavior. We found that isolating the variance in cortisol levels attributable to stable intrinsic sources revealed an interpretable pattern that linked individual differences in basal HPA activity to social relationships during adolescence. Studies are needed to reveal the biosocial mechanisms involved in the establishment of this gender‐ and age‐specific phenomenon and to decipher whether or not individual differences in this hormone‐behavior link are adaptive.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2008.00559.x

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  • In older children and adults, peer evaluation is a powerful elicitor of HPA response.

    “in older children and adults, peer evaluation becomes a powerful elicitor of HPA response (Booth et al., 2008)”

    From The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity (2011) · cites this paper as Booth et al., 2008

  • Cortisol in adolescent girls is more state-dependent than in same-age boys.

    “Basal cortisol often increases in adolescent girls (reviewed in Adam et al., 2007), and cortisol in adolescent girls is more state-dependent (i.e., context-sensitive) than in same-age boys (Booth et al., 2008; Shirtcliff et al., 2005).”

    From The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity (2011) · cites this paper as Booth et al., 2008

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Authors
Booth, A., Granger, D. A., & Shirtcliff, E. A.
Affiliations
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
  • University of Wisconsin System (US)
Corresponding author
Booth, Alan
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Research on Adolescence
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2008-05-20
Volume
18
Issue
2
Pages
239-260
ISSN
  • 1050-8392 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-7795
DOI
10.1111/j.1532-7795.2008.00559.x
OpenAlex
W2043205590
Cited by
58
References
61
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 7
FWCI
1.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
Journal of Research on Adolescence (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Family Process Institute
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R24 HD41025)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
salivary cortisol, social relationship quality, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, middle childhood, adolescence, gender differences, age differences, peer relationships, parent-child relationship, sibling relationships, internalizing and externalizing behavior

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