The buffering effects of video-relayed social support on cardiovascular and cortisol reactivity during a behavioral challenge

The authors tested the effects of a laboratory analogue of social support on reactivity to laboratory-based behavioral challenge. Video-relayed supportive commentary was provided by a same-sex confederate while participants (40 healthy men and women assigned to support and no-support groups) performed a demanding computer task, and their heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and salivary cortisol were measured. The authors found that heart rate and cortisol level (but not blood pressure) were attenuated in the support condition for both genders. Objective performance on the task was similar in both groups, but the social support group reported higher levels of perceived support and rated the task as easier than did participants in the no-support condition. Video presentation offers new opportunities for systematically examining social support and its effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA ) (journal abstract)

本研究团队考察了实验室情境下模拟社会支持对行为挑战反应性的影响。实验中，一名同性实验同谋（confederate）通过视频向被试提供支持性评论；40名健康男女被分配至支持组与无支持组，在完成一项难度较高的计算机任务期间，研究者同步记录了被试的心率、收缩压、舒张压及唾液皮质醇水平。研究结果表明，两组男女被试在支持情境下的心率与皮质醇反应性均有所减弱，但血压反应性未出现此类变化。两组被试的任务客观完成表现无显著差异，但支持组被试报告感受到的支持程度更高，且认为任务难度低于无支持组被试。视频呈现方式为系统考察社会支持及其效应提供了全新的研究路径。（摘自美国心理学会（APA）心理信息数据库（PsycINFO）2006年档案记录）（期刊摘要）