Date of Graduation

Fall 2025

Document Type

Thesis Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chairperson

Eleanor D. Brown, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jodi B.A. McKibben, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kristen R. Breit, Ph.D.

Abstract

The Family Stress Model (FSM) proposes that economic hardship influences child development in part through its impact on caregivers’ emotional functioning and parenting behaviors. This study extends the FSM by examining economic adversity in relation to child oxytocin or OT, a biomarker linked to social affiliation and stress regulation, and by examining caregiver psychological distress as a potential mediator. Participants were 120 preschool-aged children (aged 3-5 years) enrolled in Head Start programs in the Mid-Atlantic region of the East Coast of the US and their primary caregivers. Caregivers completed interview-based measures assessing economic adversity and psychological distress, and children provided 5 saliva samples across the school day on 3 different days to assess daily OT levels. Zero-order correlations were used to guide structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS. Results supported the associations between economic adversity and child OT and also associations between economic adversity and caregiver psychological distress but did not provide support for caregiver psychological distress as a mediator of the relationship between economic adversity and child OT. These findings highlight the potential for economic adversity to become biologically embedded in early childhood through pathways that extend beyond caregiver distress, emphasizing the importance of policies and practices that promote stable, supportive environments for children growing up in poverty.

Final Version Confirmation

1

Download

Available for download on Wednesday, January 24, 2029

Share

COinS