title: Social stressors and cardiovascular response: influence of ambivalent relationships and behavioral ambivalence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The protective influence of social relationships on health is well documented; however, not all relationships are positive and negative aspects of relationships may be detrimental. Relatively less is known about the relationships characterized by both positivity and negativity (i.e., ambivalence). The goal of this study was to examine the relative influence of ambivalence in relationship quality and social behavior on cardiovascular response.
  
  
  METHODS
  104 healthy young adults were randomly assigned to bring in either a supportive or ambivalent same-sex friend to the experiment. Participants were also randomly assigned to receive positive, negative, ambivalent or ambiguous feedback from their friend after giving a series of speeches. Cardiovascular response was obtained before, during, and after the social stressor (speech task).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicate a significant effect of relationship type before, during, and after the stressor task. Adjusting for baseline, heart rate reactivity and anxiety was significantly higher among those assigned to ambivalent friends relative to those assigned to supportive friends during the stressor task (ps<.05). There was also a significant effect of behavioral feedback during the speech task, such that those receiving ambivalent messages had the greatest systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity (p<.05); however, there was no interaction between relationship and feedback conditions. Those in the ambivalent friend condition also exhibited significantly higher SBP, DBP, and anxiety during the baseline and recovery periods (ps<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that both relationship quality and the actions of relationships may have a significant influence on health-relevant physiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, 1024 Spencer W. Kimball Tower, Provo, UT, 84602, USA. Electronic address: julianne_holt-lunstad@byu.edu.
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holt-Lunstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, 1024 Spencer W. Kimball Tower, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D013060:Speech; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ambivalent; Cardiovascular reactivity; Health; Recovery; Social support