Caregiver Unpredictability and the Development of Biobehavioral Regulation during Early Childhood
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| Title: | Caregiver Unpredictability and the Development of Biobehavioral Regulation during Early Childhood |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Elisa Ugarte (ORCID |
| Source: | International Journal of Behavioral Development. 2026 50(1):45-58. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Child Caregivers, Mothers, Infants, Young Children, Interaction, Caregiver Child Relationship, Parent Child Relationship, Child Development, Child Rearing, Parenting Styles, Socialization, Prediction, Inhibition, Self Management, Sensory Experience, Check Lists, Child Behavior |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Child Behavior Checklist |
| DOI: | 10.1177/01650254251349755 |
| ISSN: | 0165-0254 1464-0651 |
| Abstract: | Experiences of unpredictability can create significant disruptions for children's psychosocial development. Despite growing evidence highlighting the importance of predictable caregiving in fostering long-term healthy development, there is still limited understanding of proximal unpredictability within caregiver-child relationships. This study extended prior research on caregivers' sensory signal unpredictability with infants, by (1) developing an observational measure of caregiver affective and behavioral unpredictability in early childhood and (2) exploring its implications for preschoolers' development of biobehavioral self-regulation. In this longitudinal study of 98 predominantly White 4-year-old children (50% female) and their mothers, greater caregiver affective and behavioral unpredictability was associated concurrently with greater respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression (i.e., decrease in RSA) during the Day/Night inhibitory control task. Greater caregiver sensory signal unpredictability at 4 years predicted children's greater RSA suppression during the Day/Night task 2 years later. Neither sensory signals nor affective or behavioral unpredictability were associated with children's behavioral performance on the inhibitory control task. This study provides initial evidence that unpredictable caregiver signals appear to shape early, non-volitional processes that regulate arousal in novel situations, a central aspect of susceptibility to social withdrawal. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1495490 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Experiences of unpredictability can create significant disruptions for children's psychosocial development. Despite growing evidence highlighting the importance of predictable caregiving in fostering long-term healthy development, there is still limited understanding of proximal unpredictability within caregiver-child relationships. This study extended prior research on caregivers' sensory signal unpredictability with infants, by (1) developing an observational measure of caregiver affective and behavioral unpredictability in early childhood and (2) exploring its implications for preschoolers' development of biobehavioral self-regulation. In this longitudinal study of 98 predominantly White 4-year-old children (50% female) and their mothers, greater caregiver affective and behavioral unpredictability was associated concurrently with greater respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression (i.e., decrease in RSA) during the Day/Night inhibitory control task. Greater caregiver sensory signal unpredictability at 4 years predicted children's greater RSA suppression during the Day/Night task 2 years later. Neither sensory signals nor affective or behavioral unpredictability were associated with children's behavioral performance on the inhibitory control task. This study provides initial evidence that unpredictable caregiver signals appear to shape early, non-volitional processes that regulate arousal in novel situations, a central aspect of susceptibility to social withdrawal. |
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| ISSN: | 0165-0254 1464-0651 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/01650254251349755 |
