The Roles of Autonomic Arousal and Self-Reported Stress in Children's Disclosure of a Minor Transgression

Abstract

Accurate disclosures from children are essential in child maltreatment investigations, yet many children are reluctant to disclose adverse experiences. Biologically sensitive children may experience stronger stress responses in morally or socially charged situations, potentially inhibiting disclosure. The present study examined whether stress, measured physiologically via autonomic nervous system (ANS) arousal and subjectively via self-reported stress, predicted children's disclosure of a transgression. Children (N = 337; ages 4–9 years) participated in a laboratory-based paradigm, during which two toys broke in their hands, and a confederate asked them to keep it a secret. Acute ANS arousal was indexed by heart rate during the minute following the secrecy instruction relative to baseline. Children also self-reported their stress and calmness at baseline and immediately post-transgression. Children were then interviewed using a NICHD-informed forensic-style interview protocol. Higher ANS arousal post-secrecy instruction predicted a lower likelihood of disclosure. In contrast, higher self-reported calmness post-transgression predicted a reduced likelihood of disclosure, while self-reported stress was unrelated. Age was positively associated with disclosure but did not moderate stress−disclosure associations. Findings highlight the value of assessing stress beyond self-report, with heightened ANS arousal capturing nondisclosure risk that children may strategically downplay or fail to recognize in self-reports.