Individual differences in stress reactions during a peer entry episode: Effects of age, temperament, approach behavior, and self-perceived peer competence

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a standardized pe er entry paradigm would produce stress responses in 3- and 4-year-olds and how such stress responses would relate to temperament, observed approach to peers, and self-perceived peer competence. Physiological stress reactions were measured by activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) syste m. The 4-year-old group showed significantly less avoidance of the new peer s and was rated higher on approach temperament. This older group also showe d larger HPA stress responses to the new peer situation. Finally, discrepan cy between self-reported peer competence and behavior in the peer envy situ ation was associated with larger stress responses on average. These finding s support the notion that investment in a salient episode plays a role in d etermining the magnitude of HPA stress responses. The importance of examini ng discrepancies between self-perception and action in research on stress i s discussed. (C) 2000 Academic Press.