Early relationships as regulators of infant physiology and behavior
Abstract
In recent years, animal research has revealed a network of simple behavioral and biological processes that underlie the psychological constructs we use to define early social relationships. Hidden within the observable interactions of parent and offspring are sensorimotor, thermal and nutrient-based events which have unexpected and widespread regulatory effects on infant behavior and physiology. The complex pattern of responses resulting from early separation in infant rats can be traced to the abrupt withdrawal of a number of discrete, independent regulatory processes which had been acting on individual components of the infant's physiology and behavior. These regulatory processes also appear to mediate long-term shaping effects exerted by early relationships, for example, on the vulnerability of the adult rat to hypertension and stress ulcer. In human development, early regulatory interactions may provide a bridge between biological and psychological processes in the development of our earliest mental representations.
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The use of the therapeutic relationship as dyadic regulation of affect builds on developmental processes in which the attachment figure acts as a psychobiological regulator, and regulation is a dyadic interpersonal achievement.
“This use of the therapeutic relationship—the dyadic regulation of affect—builds on developmental processes in which the attachment figure acts as a psychobiological regulator, and regulation is a dyadic interpersonal achievement.141,142”
From Fear and the Defense Cascade (2015) · cites this paper as [142]
Caregiving provides a host of regulatory functions in humans, such as buffering against emotion dysregulation and stress reactivity in youth.
“Caregiving provides a host of regulatory functions in humans, such as buffering against emotion dysregulation and stress reactivity in youth (Campos et al., 1975, Hofer, 1994, McCoy and Masters, 1985, Gunnar and Donzella, 2002).”
From The impact of developmental timing for stress and recovery (2015) · cites this paper as Hofer, 1994
Soothing a stressed infant can lower stress hormone levels.
“In turn, this stimulation of the infant's sensory systems changes physiology; for example, soothing a stressed infant can lower stress hormone levels (Gunnar and Quevedo, 2007, Gunnar et al., 2007, Hofer, 1994, Sarro et al., 2014a, Sarro et al., 2014b).”
From Early life adversity during the infant sensitive period for attachment: Programming of behavioral neurobiology of threat processing and social behavior (2017) · cites this paper as Hofer, 1994
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References 43 · Cited by 397
- Authors
- Hofer, M. A.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hofer, Myron A
- Venue
- Acta Paediatrica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1994-06
- Volume
- 83
- Issue
- s397
- Pages
- 9-18
- ISSN
- 0365-1436 (ISSN-L)
- 0803-5253
- 1651-2227
- OpenAlex
- W2066171961
- Cited by
- 397
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 0.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Paediatrica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
- Keywords
- infant physiology, infant behavior, early separation, infant rats, sensorimotor processing, temperature regulation, nutrient regulation, stress ulcer, mental representation
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Child Rearing, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Maternal Behavior, Mother-Child Relations, Psychophysiology, Stomach Ulcer, Stress, Psychological, Time Factors, Neurotransmitter Agents, Infant Behavior, Rats
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