| Abstract: | The goal of the present study was to investigate developmental differences in the effectiveness of parent support to alleviate hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses of children (ages 9–10, N = 40) and adolescents (ages 15–16, N = 41). We experimentally manipulated the provision of parent support during the speech preparation period before a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and examined its effect on levels of salivary cortisol secreted in response to this laboratory stressor. Analyses revealed a significant interaction of condition and age group such that social support from the parent (versus a stranger) significantly eliminated the cortisol stress response in children, but had no effect on the response among adolescents. |
