Stress Reactivity and Biological Sensitivity to Context

This class is designed to introduce students to two biological system: the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis' that help children respond to and cope with daily challenges, stressors, and adversities. We will examine: (1) how the ANS and HPA systems respond to daily stressors, as well as experiences of poverty, maltreatment, and neglect; (2) how different indices of stress reactivity independently and jointly relate to various domains of competence and psychopathology; and (3) how stress reactivity moderates contextual influences on children's adaptation.