TY - JOUR
T1 - Interparental aggression and parent-adolescent salivary alpha amylase symmetry
AU - Gordis, Elana B.
AU - Margolin, Gayla
AU - Spies, Lauren A.
AU - Susman, Elizabeth J.
AU - Granger, Douglas A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported in part by the Behavioral Endocrinology Laboratory and the Child Youth and Families Consortium at the Pennsylvania State University , by NIH grants R01 HD046807 and K23 HD41428 , and by grant 00-12802 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation . We thank Becky Hamilton and Mary Curran for their biotechnical support with immunoassays, Deborah Chien, Sarah Duman, Angèle Fauchier, Catherine Delsol Haudek, Anna Marie Medina, Laura Proctor, Michelle Ramos, Martha Rios, and Molly Swanston for their input and work with participant families, and Adabel Lee, Mona Elyousef, and Jenie Wall for their work as project coordinators. We deeply appreciate the generosity of the participating families.
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - The present study examined salivary alpha amylase (sAA), a putative marker of adrenergic activity, in family members engaging in family conflict discussions. We examined symmetry among family members' sAA levels at baseline and in response to a conflict discussion. The relation between a history of interparental aggression on parent-adolescent sAA symmetry also was examined. Participants were 62 families with a mother, father, and biological child age 13-18 (n=29 girls). After engaging in a relaxation procedure, families participated in a 15-minute triadic family conflict discussion. Participants provided saliva samples at post-relaxation/pre-discussion, immediately post-discussion, and at 10 and 20. min post-discussion. Participants also reported on interparental physical aggression during the previous year. Across the sample we found evidence of symmetry between mothers' and adolescents' sAA levels at baseline and around the discussion. Interparental aggression was associated with lower sAA levels among fathers. Interparental aggression also affected patterns of parent-child sAA response symmetry such that families reporting interparental aggression exhibited greater father-adolescent sAA symmetry than did those with no reports of interparental aggression. Among families with no interparental aggression history, we found consistent mother-adolescent symmetry. These differences suggest different patterns of parent-adolescent physiological attunement among families with interparental aggression.
AB - The present study examined salivary alpha amylase (sAA), a putative marker of adrenergic activity, in family members engaging in family conflict discussions. We examined symmetry among family members' sAA levels at baseline and in response to a conflict discussion. The relation between a history of interparental aggression on parent-adolescent sAA symmetry also was examined. Participants were 62 families with a mother, father, and biological child age 13-18 (n=29 girls). After engaging in a relaxation procedure, families participated in a 15-minute triadic family conflict discussion. Participants provided saliva samples at post-relaxation/pre-discussion, immediately post-discussion, and at 10 and 20. min post-discussion. Participants also reported on interparental physical aggression during the previous year. Across the sample we found evidence of symmetry between mothers' and adolescents' sAA levels at baseline and around the discussion. Interparental aggression was associated with lower sAA levels among fathers. Interparental aggression also affected patterns of parent-child sAA response symmetry such that families reporting interparental aggression exhibited greater father-adolescent sAA symmetry than did those with no reports of interparental aggression. Among families with no interparental aggression history, we found consistent mother-adolescent symmetry. These differences suggest different patterns of parent-adolescent physiological attunement among families with interparental aggression.
KW - Family conflict and sympathetic nervous system activity
KW - Interparental aggression
KW - Salivary alpha amylase
KW - Sympathetic nervous system
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U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 20096715
AN - SCOPUS:77952292877
VL - 100
SP - 225
EP - 233
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
SN - 0031-9384
IS - 3
ER -