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Infant Socioemotional Responses When Faced with Social Threat: Implications For Neurophysiological and Bio-hormonal Processing

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Date Issued:
2023
Abstract/Description:
Infants have an innate desire to form social bonds and jealousy protests are an attempt to regain exclusive maternal attention from a social usurper. The current study examined neurophysiological and bio-hormonal processes related to jealousy responses during the first year and a half of life. Prior to and after the first year of life, infants express jealousy protest behavior when faced with a social threat. Resting-state frontal EEG coherence indicated a developmental shift from bilateral connectivity in younger infants to increased frontal specialization in older infants in relation to jealousy responses. Furthermore, 6- to 9-month-old infants exhibited more frontal neuroconnectivity in the right hemisphere (i.e., an area related to negative emotions) of the brain compared to left when faced with social threat. Lastly, social threat activated HPA reactivity in infants higher in temperamental distress. This study provides further evidence for the emerging links between physiological and socioemotional responses in infancy due to loss of exclusive maternal attention.
Title: Infant Socioemotional Responses When Faced with Social Threat: Implications For Neurophysiological and Bio-hormonal Processing.
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Name(s): Bernardo, Angela Maria, author
Jones, Nancy Aaron , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Department of Psychology
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2023
Date Issued: 2023
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 113 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Infants have an innate desire to form social bonds and jealousy protests are an attempt to regain exclusive maternal attention from a social usurper. The current study examined neurophysiological and bio-hormonal processes related to jealousy responses during the first year and a half of life. Prior to and after the first year of life, infants express jealousy protest behavior when faced with a social threat. Resting-state frontal EEG coherence indicated a developmental shift from bilateral connectivity in younger infants to increased frontal specialization in older infants in relation to jealousy responses. Furthermore, 6- to 9-month-old infants exhibited more frontal neuroconnectivity in the right hemisphere (i.e., an area related to negative emotions) of the brain compared to left when faced with social threat. Lastly, social threat activated HPA reactivity in infants higher in temperamental distress. This study provides further evidence for the emerging links between physiological and socioemotional responses in infancy due to loss of exclusive maternal attention.
Identifier: FA00014230 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2023.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Infant psychology
Jealousy
Infants--Development
Electroencephalography
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014230
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU