Social evaluation and cardiovascular response: an active coping approach.
Cardiovascular effects of social evaluation were examined under different task conditions. In Experiment 1, systolic responses in women were greater under public than private conditions when a fixed behavioral challenge was difficult, but not when the challenge was easy. In Experiment 2, social evaluation potentiated systolic responsivity in men and women when a behavioral challenge was unfixed, but not when a behavioral challenge was fixed and easy to meet. Results are discussed in terms of a recent integrative analysis of effort and cardiovascular response as well as alternative conceptions that posit, or might be taken to imply, an association between publicity and physiologic activation.
Wright
R A
RA
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294-1170, USA.
Tunstall
A M
AM
Williams
B J
BJ
Goodwin
J S
JS
Harmon-Jones
E
E
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001364:Awareness; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012938:Social Perception