High‐frequency heart rate variability (hf‐HRV) theoretically provides a biomarker for self‐regulation, although studies with young children offer mixed findings regarding the relevance of emotional demands in this link. We aimed to describe variation in children's hf‐HRV during tasks with relatively high and low emotional load and to determine the relation of hf‐HRV during these tasks to different behavioural measures of children's self‐regulation. Electrocardiograms were recorded in 80 3–5‐year‐olds (M = 57 months; 54% male, 47% female; 87% White, 8% mixed/other race, 2% African American/Black, 1% were Asian and 1% Hispanic/Latinx) whilst they completed a Go/No‐go task with low emotional load and an emotionally challenging Delay Frustration task. Mean hf‐HRV was similar across these tasks, although it increased during a between‐task rest interval. Accounting for age, gender and caregiver education, hf‐HRV during the Go/No‐go task correlated with task performance, whereas hf‐HRV during the emotional task correlated with caregiver‐reported regulation (Psuedo R2 = 03–0.05). Greater hf‐HRV withdrawal during the tasks correlated with weaker Go/No performance and increased behavioural frustration (Psuedo R2 = 0.08–0.13). Children's maintenance of hf‐HRV during emotional and cognitive challenges may support their effective self‐regulation.

中文翻译：

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学龄前儿童在低和高情绪挑战期间的高频心率变异性与其自我调节的关系

高频心率变异性（hf-HRV）理论上提供了自我调节的生物标志物，尽管针对幼儿的研究对于这一联系中情绪需求的相关性提供了不同的结果。我们的目的是描述儿童在情绪负荷相对较高和较低的任务期间 hf-HRV 的变化，并确定这些任务期间 hf-HRV 与儿童自我调节的不同行为测量的关系。记录了 80 名 3-5 岁儿童的心电图（中号= 57 个月； 54% 男性，47% 女性； 87% 白人、8% 混血/其他种族、2% 非裔美国人/黑人、1% 亚洲人和 1% 西班牙裔/拉丁裔）同时他们完成了低情绪负荷的 Go/No-go 任务和情绪上具有挑战性的延迟挫败任务。这些任务的平均 hf-HRV 相似，尽管它在任务间休息间隔期间有所增加。考虑到年龄、性别和看护者教育程度，执行/不执行任务期间的 hf-HRV 与任务表现相关，而情绪任务期间的 hf-HRV 与看护者报告的调节相关（伪R2= 03–0.05)。任务期间较高的 hf-HRV 退缩与较弱的 Go/No 表现和增加的行为挫败感相关（伪R2= 0.08–0.13）。儿童在情绪和认知挑战期间维持 hf-HRV 可能支持他们有效的自我调节。