Effects of manipulating the amount of social-evaluative threat on the cortisol stress response in young healthy men.

Abstract

Perceived social-evaluative threat triggers the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in cortisol release. The current study examined the effects of varying the levels of social-evaluative threat on the stress response. Sixty healthy men (mean age + 23.17 +/- 3.89 years) underwent a public speaking task. Four conditions were established on the basis of panel location (inside or outside the room) and number of panelists (one or two). It was hypothesized that these variations affect salivary cortisol and physiological responses in a gradient manner. The task elicited significant cortisol and blood pressure changes for all conditions, but no difference between the groups was found, suggesting that all conditions were equally stressful. Study conclusions were that, for men, the visual presence of a panel is not necessary to elicit a cortisol response. Furthermore, increasing the number of judges does not increase the intensity of the stress response in a gradual manner, but rather seems to follow a threshold pattern. Future studies should include women and try to define the possible threshold to activate the HPA axis.

Prosocial Personality Traits and Adaptation to Stress

“…Results were in line with those of Andrews et al (2007) and Schoofs et al (2008), with similar stressor conditions. It appears that socially evaluative tasks such as public speaking, which potentially threaten the social self, do elicit robust and reliable cortisol responses (Dickerson et al, 2008).…”

“…Speaking in front of an audience is a proven social stressor and has become widely used in stress research (Schoofs et al, 2008). This task involves the potential for negative evaluation by peers (Andrews et al, 2007), which enhances stressor potency for eliciting a cortisol response (Dickerson, Mycek, & Zaldivar, 2008).…”

Timing is everything: Anticipatory stress dynamics among cortisol and blood pressure reactivity and recovery in healthy adults

“…This occurs specifically in laboratory situations that diminish an individual's control as well as where the prospect of being negatively evaluated, rejected, and shamed is contextually manipulated Andrews et al 2007;Wadiwalla et al 2010). The motivation toward preserving one's social-self vis-à-vis evaluation by others involves complex interactions among cognitive appraisals, affective processes, and physiological responses (Dickerson et al , 2008Gruenewald et al 2004).…”

Dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and executive function in individuals at risk for suicide

“…19,20 The TSST allows repeated salivary assessments throughout the test to quantify the dynamic changes in biological markers of stress. Given the consistent evidence suggesting that a portion of the variability in TSST reactivity is because of genetic factors, 21,22 this method is well suited to an investigation of first-degree relatives to determine the role of stress reactivity as an intermediate phenotype of suicide.…”