title: The effect of social support and physical touch on cardiovascular reactions to mental stress.
abstract: To examine the effects of social support on cardiovascular reactions to behavioral stress, the present study tested the relative contribution of three elements of social support: the presence of another person in the laboratory; the presence of a person considered to be a friend; and physical touch. Sixty undergraduate females were assigned to one of the following groups: alone (A); friend present-touch (FT); friend present-no touch (FNT); stranger present-touch (ST); and stranger present-no touch (SNT). Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) measures were obtained across baseline phases and during presentation of two behavioral challenges (mental arithmetic, mirror-tracing). The findings suggest that neither the presence of a stranger nor physical touch are related to attenuated cardiovascular reactions to stress; rather, if the extent of cardiovascular reactivity is related to social support, the presence of a friend may be the important mediating variable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown 26506.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Edens
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Abel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D011340:Problem Solving; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014110:Touch