title: The conjoined effect of naturalistic perceived available support and enacted support on cardiovascular reactivity during a laboratory stressor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have suggested that enacted social support has salutogenetic effects on cardiovascular activation during stress.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to examine the conjoined effect of naturalistic perceived available support and enacted support on cardiovascular reactivity to a laboratory stressor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one participants assigned themselves to one of two conditions: enacted social support before the onset of a stressor or no support. Perceived available support was assessed via a questionnaire, and heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) were analyzed in response to a speech task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whereas perceived available support was unrelated to cardiovascular activity in the no-support condition, it was accompanied by attenuated HR and increased HRV in the enacted-support condition. Moreover, perceived available support was associated with greater HR, HRV, and BRS reactivity to the speech task and better MAP recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these findings support the assumption that different aspects of social support are related to different physiological processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Karl-Franzens-University, Graz, Austria. andreas.schwerdtfeger@uni-graz.at
authors.forename: Andreas Richard
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Schwerdtfeger
authors.forename: Henrike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schlagert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*