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Megan R. GunnarProfessor Office: 226 Child Development Social and biological aspects of development |
My research focuses on the emotional and social processes that regulate physiological responses to stressful events early in childhood (see the International Adoption Project). Much of my work involves a stress-sensitive neuroendrocine system, the adrenocortical system.
We find a marked decrease in responsiveness of the adrenocortical system over the first year of life. Over this time, behavioral expressions of distress become less closely linked to increases in cortisol, the hormone produced by this system. At the same time, the responsiveness of caregivers to the baby's distress plays an increasingly important role. By the end of the first year, children in secure attachment relationships are unlikely to produce increases in cortisol when they are behaviorally upset, while children in insecure relationships are likely to show elevations in this stress hormone in situations that upset them.
Among preschool-aged children, the quality of children's peer relations and their level of self-regulatory behavior are associated with cortisol responsivity in both nursery school and daycare settings. Children who get along well with other children and those who are reasonably self-controlled, have low levels of cortisol in the classroom setting, while children who are disliked by other children, have poor behavioral control, and/or are more aggressive have higher cortisone levels.
Recently, I have begun to explore the impact of abuse and neglect on the development of neuroendocrine and autonomic responsivity. My students and I are particularly interested in following the development of international children adopted from institutional (orphanage) rearing environments.
See also "How young children manage stress"
Recent publications
Ahnert, L., Gunnar, M.R., Lamb, M. E., & Barthel, M. (2004). Transition to child care: Association of infant-mother attachment, infant negative emotion and cortisol elevations. Child Development, 75, 629-650.
Gunnar, M. R., Fisher, P. A., and the Early Experience, Stress and Prevention Science Network (2006). Bringing basic research on early experience and stress neurobiology to bear on preventive interventions for neglected and maltreated children. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 651-677.
Fisher, P. Gunnar, M.R., Dozier, M., Bruce, J. & Pears, K. (2006). Effects of therapeutic interventions for foster children on behavior problems, caregiver attachment, and stress regulatory neural systems. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1094, 215-225.
Gunnar, M. R., van Dulmen, M. M. H. (2007). Behavior problems in post-institutionalized internationally adopted children. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 129-148.
Tarullo, A. & Bruce, J. & Gunnar, M. R. (2007). False belief and emotion understanding in post-institutionalized children. Social Development, 16, 57-78.
Gunnar, M. R. & Quevedo, K. (2007). The neurobiology of stress and development. In S. Fiske (Ed.) Annual Review of Psychology, Vol 58, 145-174.
Bruce, J., Tarullo, A., & Gunnar, M.R. (in press). Disinhibited social behavior among internationally adopted children. Development and Psychopathology.
Kryzer, E. M., Kovan, N., Phillips, D.A., Domagall, L., & Gunnar, M.R. (in press). Toddlers’ and preschoolers’ experience in family day care: Age Differences and behavioral correlates. Early Childhood Research Quarterly.