Citation

Alink LRA, van Ijzendoorn MH, Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ, Mesman J, Juffer F, Koot HM. Dev. Psychobiol. 2008; 50(5): 427-450.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/dev.20300

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

An inverse relation between cortisol (re)activity and externalizing behavior has been hypothesized, but research findings seem equivocal. We tested this hypo(re)activity hypothesis in two meta-analyses, one for basal cortisol (k = 72 studies, N = 5,480) and one for cortisol reactivity to a stressor (k = 29 studies, N = 2,601). No association was found between cortisol reactivity and externalizing behaviors (r = −.04, 95% CI = −.11, .02). However, the relation between basal cortisol and externalizing behavior was significant but small (r = −.05, 95% CI = −.10, −.002). The age of the children significantly moderated this relation: Externalizing behavior was associated with higher basal cortisol (hyperactivity) in preschoolers (r = .09, 95% CI = .002, .17), and with lower basal cortisol (hypoactivity) in elementary school-aged children (r = −.14, 95% CI = −.19, −.08). There was no significant relation between cortisol and externalizing behavior in adolescents. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 427–450, 2008.