Physiological, perceptual, and behavioral responses to aggravated interaction: the contribution of experiences with parental yelling

Parental yelling is a common child-rearing practice that has received little empirical attention. The current study evaluated the relation of prior experiences with parental yelling and current physiological, perceptual, and behavioral responses to aggravated interactions with an authority figure using a unique methodology. Participants were 53 young-adults (35 females; M = 18.9 years) from a southwestern university. Participants' heart rate (HR) and electrodermal activity (EDA) were measured across ~ 30-s aggravated and calm interactions with an experimenter, as well as 2-min recovery periods. Participants rated their perceptions of the interactions following video playback, and behavioral observations were later coded. There was a significant quadratic relationship between experiences with parental yelling and participants' recovery from aggravated interaction. Results were consistent with the habituation hypothesis, with greater parental yelling associated with quicker recovery. However, this relationship tapered across medium and higher levels of yelling. Implications and future directions are discussed.