Physiological Arousal and Its Dysregulation in Child Maladjustment

Arousal and its regulation are key components of emotion, temperament, and flexible responding needed for healthy adjustment. This article presents a biosocial vulnerability model suggesting that maladjustment arises when psychological mechanisms are disrupted by changes in nervous system functioning that cause the discoordination of physiological regulatory systems, potentially leading to hyper- or hypoarousal and arousal dysregulation. The model posits bidirectional relationships with adverse social context at any level, ultimately derailing affective, cognitive, and interpersonal processes, which can increase psychopathology. Applications are made to childhood aggression and autism spectrum disorder as two examples of how differences in arousal and its dysregulation can impact child adjustment.