Social-evaluative threat, cognitive load, and the cortisol and cardiovascular stress response

Woody, Alex; Hooker, Emily D.; Zoccola, Peggy M.; Dickerson, Sally S.

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.009

Cited by 51 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…During previous research, we observed higher HR during the “stress” (arithmetic task) condition [29], regardless of sports performance. Our study did not reveal differences in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) stress reaction between volleyball players and sedentary women; however, we observed a constantly lower, although not statistically significant, heart rate in volleyball players ( p varying from 0.0531 to 0.0624, depending on time point).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Female Volleyball Players Are More Prone to Cortisol Anticipatory Stress Response than Sedentary Women

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and Objectives: Top-level sports performance places heavy physical and psychological demands on elite-level athletes, which can be a source of increased levels of stress. Therefore, high-level volleyball players may present altered cardiovascular and endocrinological stress response during stressful events. Although many previous studies have examined the response to stress on athletes, most of them regarded only males, while the impact of the female menstrual cycle has rarely been taken into account. We aimed to study psychophysiological response to anticipatory stressor through analysis of heart rate, self-reported anxiety level, and salivary cortisol in healthy young female athletes by minimalizing the effect of confounders. Materials and Methods: A total of 55 females (25 members of the best league for female volleyball players in Poland and 30 sedentary-lifestyle control subjects) in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle were exposed to mental arithmetic tasks as an experimental imitation of the stressor. Volleyball players were significantly taller than sedentary individuals (177.1 ± 3.4 cm vs. 173.3 ± 3.4 cm, respectively, p = 0.034), but did not differ in weight (73.6 ± 5.2 kg vs. 70 ± 4.23 kg, respectively, p = 0.081), body mass index (BMI) (23.5 ± 1.13 vs. 24.1 ± 1.45, respectively, p = 0.060), and age (22 ± 1.11 vs. 23 ± 1.14 years, respectively, p = 0.2). Their stress responses were assessed through self-reported anxiety levels and physiological measurements of salivary cortisol concentrations and heart rate (HR). Results: For HR, significant effects of time (F(2,120) = 21.34, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.26) were found, but not for training status (F(1,60) = 2.69, p = 0.106, η2 = 0.04). For cortisol levels, the analysis showed the main effects of time (F(3,180) = 11.73, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.16) and training status (F(1,60) = 4.69, p = 0.034, η2 = 0.07) and a significant interaction between training status and time (F(3,180) = 3.07, p = 0.029, η2 = 0.05). Post-hoc analyses showed higher cortisol concentrations among volleyball players following the math task (all p < 0.001), as well as higher cortisol concentrations in S2, S3, and S4 compared to S1 in volleyball players (all p < 0.001). We observed also a significant increase in state anxiety in both groups (all p < 0.001), but no differences in state anxiety levels between groups. Conclusion: Female volleyball players may not differ in subjective graduation of stressors; however, exposure to training-based stressors seems to promote cortisol response to the anticipated stressor.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Female Volleyball Players Are More Prone to Cortisol Anticipatory Stress Response than Sedentary Women

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Consistent with recent work in economics, psychology, and sociology (1,13,14), we operationalized status anxiety by measuring an individual's preoccupation with status seeking. Empirical investigations demonstrate that excessive status seeking is an expression of anxiety and stress (15), and that concerns over one's social position often elicit biological stress responses (16). We averaged responses for how important it was for participants that in Bimboola they were respected by others, admired for what they did, successful, recognized for their achievements, and able to show their abilities, and that people did what they said, with high scores reflecting greater status anxiety (1 = not at all, 7 = very; α [Cronbach's alpha] = 0.85, M [mean] = 4.88, SD [standard deviation] = 0.94).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Status anxiety mediates the positive relationship between income inequality and sexualization

Blake

Brooks

2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Income inequality generates and amplifies incentives, particularly incentives for individuals to elevate or maintain their status, with important consequences for the individuals involved and aggregate outcomes for their societies [R. G. Wilkinson, K. E. Pickett, Annu. Rev. Sociol. 35, 493–511 (2009)]. Economically unequal environments intensify men’s competition for status, respect, and, ultimately, mating opportunities, thus elevating aggregate rates of violent crime and homicide [M. Daly, M. Wilson, Evolutionary Psychology and Motivation (2001)]. Recent evidence shows that women are more likely to post “sexy selfies” on social media and that they spend more on beautification in places where inequality is high rather than low [K. R. Blake, B. Bastian, T. F. Denson, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115, 8722–8727 (2018)]. Here we test experimentally for causal links between income inequality and individual self-sexualization and status-related competition. We show that manipulating income inequality in a role-playing task indirectly increases women’s intentions to wear revealing clothing and that it does so by increasing women’s anxiety about their place in the social hierarchy. The effects are not better accounted for by wealth/poverty than by inequality or by modeling anxiety about same-sex competitors in place of status anxiety. The results indicate that women’s appearance enhancement is partly driven by status-related goals.

show abstract

“…During distress, such as that accompanying social rejection or social-evaluative threats, cortisol facilitates physiological and cognitive responses and mobilizes energy for adaptive behavior (Blackhart et al 2007;Düsing et al 2016). Studies utilizing TSST report that 70% to 80% of participants show a two-to threefold increase in cortisol levels, indicating that TSST is a reliable test for evaluating the social-evaluative threat and neuroendocrine stress responses (Frisch et al 2015;Woody et al 2018).…”

Section: Biomarkers Of Social Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Improvisation Training on Student Teachers’ Behavioral, Neuroendocrine, and Psychophysiological Responses during the Trier Social Stress Test

Seppänen

Toivanen

Makkonen

et al. 2020

Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives Teaching involves multiple performance situations, potentially causing psychosocial stress. Since the theater-based improvisation method is associated with diminished social stress, we investigated whether improvisation lessened student teachers' stress responses using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; preparatory phase, public speech, and math task). Moreover, we studied the influence of interpersonal confidence (IC)the belief regarding one's capability related to effective social interactionson stress responses. Methods The intervention group (n = 19) received a 7-week (17.5 h) improvisation training, preceded and followed by the TSST. We evaluated experienced stress using a self-report scale, while physiological stress was assessed before (silent 30-s waiting period) and during the TSST tasks using cardiovascular measures (heart rate, heart rate variability [HRV]), electrodermal activation, facial electromyography (f-EMG), and EEG asymmetry. Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA-axis) reactivity was assessed through repeated salivary cortisol sampling. Results Compared to the control group (n = 16), the intervention group exhibited less f-EMG activity before a public speech and higher HRV before the math task. The low IC intervention subgroup reported significantly less stress during the math task. The controls showed a decreased heart rate before the math task, and controls with a low IC exhibited higher HRV during the speech. Self-reported stress and cortisol levels were positively correlated during the post-TSST preparatory phase. Conclusions These findings suggest that improvisation training might diminish stress levels, specifically before a performance. In addition, interpersonal confidence appears to reduce stress responses. The decreased stress responses in the control group suggest adaptation through repetition.

show abstract

Social-evaluative threat, cognitive load, and the cortisol and cardiovascular stress response

Cited by 51 publications

References 36 publications

Female Volleyball Players Are More Prone to Cortisol Anticipatory Stress Response than Sedentary Women

Female Volleyball Players Are More Prone to Cortisol Anticipatory Stress Response than Sedentary Women

Status anxiety mediates the positive relationship between income inequality and sexualization

Effects of Improvisation Training on Student Teachers’ Behavioral, Neuroendocrine, and Psychophysiological Responses during the Trier Social Stress Test

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About