The link between child coping behaviors and physiological processes in a parent–child dyadic stress-coping context

Abstract Mastering adaptive stress coping behaviors is an important developmental task for children and has been theorized to be closely related to physiological activity. However, the relations between stress coping behaviors and physiological processes remain unclear. This study examined whether different coping behaviors were uniquely related to physiological processes in a parent–child dyadic stress-coping task. A total of 88 Chinese parent–child dyads were included in this study (total N = 176; child M age = 8.07 years; 96.4% Han ethnicity). Child active coping, seeking social support, and disengaged coping were coded, and parents’ and children’s respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) levels were measured. We quantified child baseline-to-task RSA reactivity, child RSA inertia, and parent-to-child RSA synchrony. Results indicated that children who were more likely to seek support from their parents and less likely to exhibit behavioral disengagement had lower RSA inertia, which indicates more flexible physiological regulation. Children who exhibited more active and less disengaged coping behaviors had greater parent-to-child RSA synchrony, suggesting more efficient interpersonal co-regulation at the physiological level. These findings highlight specific associations between children’s coping behaviors and physiological regulation processes during dyadic stress interactions, offering insights into how behavioral and physiological systems may coordinate in middle childhood.