# BEHAVIORAL AND HORMONAL RESPONSES TO STRESS IN CHILDREN

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 1994 · $165,642

## Abstract

This proposal describes studies of the development of behavioral and
hormonal responses to stressors during infancy and early childhood. In
addition to a longitudinal study (prenatal period to age 3), a large study
of children responding to the challenges of preschool, and several smaller
studies are also proposed. This research is organized around examination
of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, a
neuroendocrine system central to mammalian stress resistance. A major goal
of this work is to integrate studies of the psychobiology of this system
with research on the biological substrate of temperament in children. To
this end, the studies described examine components of a proposed
temperament-coping resources-physiological stress model. According to this
model, the biological substrate of temperament (assessed through measures
of baseline EEG asymmetry, vagal tone, basal HPA activity, and positive
late components of the ERP) influences the child's likelihood of
perceiving events as potentially threatening. However, activation of
physiological stress reactions are presumed to follow from expectations
that the threat will be realized. Mediating these perceptions are the
coping resources available to the child. The studies will take advantage
of both lab-based and naturalistic-ecological stressors and challenging
situations. The proposed studies are designed to integrate 3 major
literatures: (1) the physiology of infant/child temperament, (2)
socioemotional development, including attachment research, and (3)
psychoendocrine studies of infant/child stress. Finally, preliminary
investigations of a noninvasive measure of immune functioning (salivary
interleukin-1b) are also proposed that would extend this integration to
research on individual differences in children's physical health and
susceptibility to illness.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2197308
- **Project number:** 2R01HD016494-13
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** KABJZBBJ4B54
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan R Gunnar
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $165,642
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1982-04-01 → 1999-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2197308

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2197308, BEHAVIORAL AND HORMONAL RESPONSES TO STRESS IN CHILDREN (2R01HD016494-13). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2197308. Licensed CC0.

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