title: Verbal-autonomic response dissociations as traits?
abstract: Dissociations between subjective and physiological responses to stress are of central interest in coping research. However, little is known about their stability across situations and time. Two experimental sessions - separated by 1 year - were conducted to examine cross-situational consistency and longterm-stability of HR-derived and SCL-derived dissociation scores. In year 1, a speech stressor, the cold pressor and a video stressor (viewing of the speech video) were applied. In year 2, mental arithmetics, anagrams and a torture video were presented. Thirty-five students participated and HR, SCL and negative affect were recorded. For each stressor, standardized changes in negative affect were subtracted from changes in autonomic reactivity (HR and SCL, respectively). Dissociation scores were relatively consistent across the stressors with HR-derived scores exceeding SCL-derived scores. Longterm-stability proved acceptable (r=.61, P<.001 for HR-derived and r=.40, P<.05 for SCL-derived scores). In sum, verbal-autonomic response dissociations show considerable cross-situational and temporal stability and thus might be considered as traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudinger Weg 9, 55099 Mainz, Germany. aschwerd@uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwerdtfeger
authors.forename: Stefan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Schmukle
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Egloff
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014743:Videotape Recording