Relationship between Self-Report and Behavioral Measures of Empathy

Conceptualizations of the construct of empathy have varied with differing methods used to examine it. Based on discordant findings in previous research on self-reported empathy and behavioral measures of empathy, the current study tested the hypothesis that self-reported and behavioral measures are significantly positively correlated with one another. Neurotypical undergraduate students completed self-report measures of empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index; Davis, 1980 and Empathy Quotient; Baron-Cohen & Wheelwright, 2004), a behavioral measure of empathy ("Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test-Revised; Baron-Cohen et al., 2001), temperament (Adult Temperament Questionnaire; Rothbart et al., 2000), personality (Mini-Marker Big Five; Saucier, 1994), and gender identification (Bem, 1974). Results showed that empathy self-report scales were not consistently correlated with the behavioral measure of empathy, and moderation analyses revealed significant differences between males and females on self-reported versus behavioral measures of empathy. Additional analyses indicated that empathy may also be understood in the context of other dispositional traits such as temperament. As a multidimensional construct, the study of empathy may be better understood with measures of empathy that are behaviorally based in order to correct for potential issues with self-report measures.Department of Psycholog

Rapid Cortisol and Testosterone Responses to Sex-Linked Stressors: Implications for the Tend-and-Befriend Hypothesis

Current evolutionary theories regarding the nature of hormonal responses to a variety of salient social stimuli are incomplete in yielding evidentiary support for their assertions. This study offers more nuanced evidence for the Tend-and- Befriend model of sex differences in responses to social stimuli. Participants were randomly assigned to a mortality salience prime or a control condition prior to viewing a video of an out-group threat or a video of infants crying. Cortisol and testosterone responses were assessed. The results showed that in mortality salience conditions, females showed significantly higher cortisol responses to infants crying compared to males. Further, in both mortality salience and control conditions, females showed significantly higher testosterone responses to the crying infants than males. Males showed a greater testosterone response to viewing an out-group threat. Mortality salience prime did not impact testosterone responses in either sex. Results point to a more nuanced representation of hormonal responses to social stimuli and the need for multisystem measurement

Rapid Cortisol and Testosterone Responses to Sex-Linked Stressors: Implications for the Tend-and-Befriend Hypothesis

Current evolutionary theories regarding the nature of hormonal responses to a variety of salient social stimuli are incomplete in yielding evidentiary support for their assertions. This study offers more nuanced evidence for the Tend-and- Befriend model of sex differences in responses to social stimuli. Participants were randomly assigned to a mortality salience prime or a control condition prior to viewing a video of an out-group threat or a video of infants crying. Cortisol and testosterone responses were assessed. The results showed that in mortality salience conditions, females showed significantly higher cortisol responses to infants crying compared to males. Further, in both mortality salience and control conditions, females showed significantly higher testosterone responses to the crying infants than males. Males showed a greater testosterone response to viewing an out-group threat. Mortality salience prime did not impact testosterone responses in either sex. Results point to a more nuanced representation of hormonal responses to social stimuli and the need for multisystem measurement

Co-Twin Relationship Quality as a Moderator of Genetic and Environmental Factors on Urinary Cortisol Levels among Adult Twins

Previous research has indicated that genetic and environmental factors shape physiological activity. Cortisol levels, in particular, have received significant attention, with studies indicating substantive heritability estimates across various sampling techniques. A related line of research has indicated that genetic and environmental factors that explain variability in cortisol levels may vary across context and experiences by way of gene-environment interactions (G×Es). Despite these findings, a limited number of studies have examined the extent to which interpersonal relationships may operate as a moderator. The current study focused on co-twin relationship quality as a source of moderation, as twins are more likely to have contact with one another and to form close, interpersonal relationships with their co-twin relative to singleton siblings. Using a sample of 298 adult twins from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), we examined the extent to which genetic and environmental factors that explain variability in urinary cortisol levels varied across levels of co-twin relationship quality. The heritability of cortisol levels was greater and nonshared environmental influences were lower at greater levels of relationship quality. These findings suggest that the heritability of cortisol may vary across context, and positive relationships with others may moderate such factors

Adrenocortical attunement, reactivity, and potential genetic correlates among parent–daughter dyads from low-income families

Examining the multitude of influences on the development of adolescent stress responses, especially among low-income families, is a critical and understudied topic in the field. The current study examined cortisol attunement between adolescent girls and parents (mostly mothers) from predominantly low-income, single parent, ethnic minority families before and after an in-laboratory disagreement discussion task. The sample consisted of 118 adolescents (Mage = 13.79 years, 76.3% ethnic minorities, 23.7% European Americans) and primary caregivers (Mage = 40.62 years; Mdn yearly income = $24,000; 43.2% single parents; 50% living below poverty line). We investigated oxytocin receptor (OXTR rs53576) gene variations as a potential contributor to attunement within the dyad. Results showed that parents and adolescents showed stress system attunement across the disagreement task, but that parent and adolescent oxytocin receptor genotype did not impact attunement. Future studies should detail biological factors that contribute to the calibration of stress response systems of adolescents across a variety of samples, particularly those experiencing a combination of stressors

Promising Findings that the Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators’ Program (CHIME) Strengthens Early Childhood Teachers’ Emotional Resources: An Iterative Study

Findings suggest that an eight-week mindfulness compassion-based program, Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators (CHIME), is a feasible professional development intervention for early childhood (EC) teachers to support their emotion regulation and psychological and workplace well-being. We offer preliminary evidence that learning about mindfulness, self-compassion, and social-emotional learning supports EC teachers in strengthening their knowledge and application of practices to be more mindful and less emotionally reactive and emotionally exhausted at work. In analyzing both EC teacher feedback and survey data from two pilot studies, there was promising evidence that participating in CHIME enhanced awareness of emotions and the development of strategies to manage emotions. As CHIME is further developed and refined it will be integral to have collaborative engagement and participation from EC teachers and programs to ensure that learning these practices are relevant, helpful, meaningful, and sustainable

Measurement of cortisol in saliva: a comparison of measurement error within and between international academic-research laboratories

Objective: Hundreds of scientific publications are produced annually that involve the measurement of cortisol in saliva. Intra- and inter-laboratory variation in salivary cortisol results has the potential to contribute to cross- study inconsistencies in findings, and the perception that salivary cortisol results are unreliable. This study rigor- ously estimates sources of measurement variability in the assay of salivary cortisol within and between established international academic-based laboratories that specialize in saliva analyses. One hundred young adults (Mean age: 23.10 years; 62 females) donated 2 mL of whole saliva by passive drool. Each sample was split into multiple- 100 µL aliquots and immediately frozen. One aliquot of each of the 100 participants’ saliva was transported to academic laboratories (N = 9) in the United States, Canada, UK, and Germany and assayed for cortisol by the same commercially available immunoassay. Results: 1.76% of the variance in salivary cortisol levels was attributable to differences between duplicate assays of the same sample within laboratories, 7.93% of the variance was associated with differences between laboratories, and 90.31% to differences between samples. In established-qualified laboratories, measurement error of salivary cortisol is minimal, and inter-laboratory differences in measurement are unlikely to have a major influence on the determined values

Sleep and stress in the acute phase of concussion in youth

This study sought to address the complex interplay between both biological and psychological perceptions of stress and sleep in the acute stages following a mild traumatic brain injury. A secondary goal was to identify potential targets for intervention. Eleven acutely injured youth (mean age 12 years) were studied at home with overnight actigraphy, salivary cortisol and melatonin assays, and subjective ratings of stress and fatigue (injured group). Nine matched control youth also were assessed (control group). Results suggested longer sleep latencies (time to fall asleep) and higher levels of fatigue in the injured group exist (p ¼ 0.025 and p ¼ 0.004, respectively). In the injured group, stress and sleep onset were significantly related with most subjects meeting criteria for Acute Stress Disorder. Melatonin levels were lower at bedtime in the injured group. Saliva samples were collected via passive drool at three time points: ~1 h before bed (“bedtime” or T1), immediately upon waking (time 2: T2), and 30 min post-waking (time 3: T3). Overnight increases in cortisol (T1 to T2) were greater for the injured group; however, post-sleep changes in cortisol (T2 to T3) were reversed with control concentrations increasing. These findings are unique in using actigraphy and salivary hormone levels in an acutely injured youth while in their homes. The differences in sleep latency and the presence of injury-related stress point to potential treatment targets in acute concussion

Adrenocortical Responses to Daily Stressors Are Calibrated by Early Life Adversity: An Investigation of the Adaptive Calibration Model

Studies examining the impact of early adversity on physiological responsivity to environmental challenges in later life yield a complex pattern of findings and ambiguity regarding the direction of effect, with some studies reporting heightened responses and others reporting dampened responses. One potential reason for these mixed findings is an oversimplified theoretical model surrounding the connection between early life stressor exposure and subsequent stress responsivity. The adaptive calibration model offersa contemporary set of assumptions aimed at providing a better understanding of the ways that early life experiences shape the stress response system to better align with current and future environments. The current study utilized a large subsample from the National Study of Daily Experiences ( N =  1,605) to examine the extent to which the association between daily stressor exposure and cortisol levels varies across levels of early life adversity. Results revealed that those individuals who experienced extremely low levels of early life adversity displayed the greatest increase in cortisol levels across the day as daily stressor exposure increased. Alternatively, those individuals who experienced extremely high levels of early life adversity displayed almost no change in diurnal production of cortisol as daily stressor exposure increased. The results are discussed within the evolutionary-developmental context of the adaptive calibration model along with suggestions for future research