title: Cortisol increases in response to brief social exchanges with opposite sex partners.
abstract: Researchers recently demonstrated that cortisol increases in response to mating-relevant social interactions. An important next step is investigating factors that explain individual differences in cortisol reactivity within these contexts. The current study examined demographic, situational, and individual difference predictors of cortisol reactivity following brief, non-face-to-face interactions with potential dating partners. College students made a video introducing themselves to another participant. During another appointment, they watched a short video of an opposite-sex confederate introducing himself/herself, and believed the other person was watching their video. Participants were told they would get to know the confederate more during a web-chat, which never took place. Participants received either rejection, acceptance, or no feedback from the confederate. Cortisol levels increased over baseline in all feedback conditions. Cortisol increases were particularly strong for participants who perceived the confederate as a more desirable dating partner, participants who were independently rated as a less desirable partner, and men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States. Electronic address: ljaremka@psych.udel.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jaremka
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Close relationships; Cortisol; Dating; Mating; Rejection; Sex differences