Sex Differences in Spontaneous Emotion Regulation, Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Responses to Acute Social Stress Stephanie
1 Rapoport ,
Fang
1 Hong ,
1 Malley-Morrison , Yijing
Kathleen Jiahao Amanda Tarullo1, Andrea Mercurio1
1Boston
1 Lin ,
1 Song ,
Carolyn
1 Amir ,
Denise
1 Graf ,
University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
INTRODUCTION
METHODS - continued
CONCLUSION
There have been inconsistencies in past research examining sex differences in heart rate, with a few studies reporting no sex differences. Additionally, there is a lack of research on potential sex differences in behavioral responses to acute social stress. The aim of the study was to examine sex differences in spontaneous emotion regulation strategies, physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses to acute psychosocial stress.
Behavioral Measure: Observer-rated anxiety expression was assessed using video recordings of the participants during the TSST and 5-minute recovery period. Trained coders used a 5-point Likert-type scale for each objective anxiety expression rating. The following anxiety expressions were rated: (1) nervous mouth movement, (2) eye blinks, (3) hand position and movement, and (4) speech dysfluencies
• No sex differences were found in spontaneous emotion regulation strategies during the TSST. • Results indicated that females exhibited greater heart rate reactivity than males during the TSST: t(160) = 2.04, p = 0.043 • Results indicated that females reported higher negative affect than males immediately after the TSST: t(272) = 2.28, p = 0.024 • No sex differences were found in levels of observed anxiety expression during the TSST nor during the 5-minute recovery period.
PARTICIPANTS 153 nonclinical females (M age = 20.19, SD = 2.80) and 100 nonclinical males (M = 19.78, SD = 2.10) were recruited from Boston University, receiving either course credit or a $25 gift card.
RESULTS Results of T-Test and Descriptive Statistics for Spontaneous Emotion Regulation (SER) by Sex Male
SER_Reappraisal SER_Suppression
Spontaneous Emotion Regulation: A revised emotion regulation questionnaire (Egloff et al., 2006) measured participants’ emotion regulation strategies (suppression & reappraisal) during TSST. Physiological Measure: Heart rate was collected via electrodes using MindWare’s BioLab Acquisition Software. Heart rate was recorded during the 8-minute baseline period, TSST, and 5minute recovery period. Psychological Measure: The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988) measured positive and negative affect in participants 10 minutes before the TSST, immediately after the TSST, 10 minutes after the TSST, and 30 minutes after the TSST. RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015
www.PosterPresentations.com
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
3.93
1.66
3.94
1.80
0.03
0.975
4.23
1.96
3.95
1.66
-0.99
0.324
REFERENCES Results of T-Test and Descriptive Statistics for Mean Heart Rate (HR) by Sex Male
METHODS The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; Kirschbaum et al., 1993) was used to induce acute psychosocial stress. The TSST was preceded by an 8-minute baseline period and followed by a 5-minute recovery period, where participants were told to sit and relax. During TSST, participants were asked to: 1) Memorize a speech alone in a room (5 minutes) 2) Recite the speech in front of a panel (5 minutes) 3) Perform math task in front of panel (5 minutes)
Female
HR_Baseline HR_TSST HR_Recovery
Female
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
78.09
14.08
79.43
11.81
0.65
0.515
91.49
15.48
96.49
14.54
2.04**
0.043**
76.69
13.58
78.76
15.84
0.84
0.401
Results of T-Test and Descriptive Statistics for Negative Affect (NA) by Sex Male
NA_10 Minutes Before TSST NA_Immediately After TSST NA_10 Minutes After TSST NA_30 Minutes After TSST
Female
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
13.12
3.13
13.73
3.85
1.33
0.186
16.89
6.34
18.83
6.83
2.28**
0.024**
13.04
3.96
13.63
4.51
1.05
0.294
Kelly, M.M., Tyrka, A.R., Anderson, G.M., Price, L.H., & Carpenter, L.L. (2008). Sex differences in emotional and physiological responses to the Trier Social Stress Test. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 39(1), 87-98. Kirschbaum, C., Pirke, K.M., & Hellhammer, D.H. (1993). The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ – A tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology, 28(1-2), 76-81. Watson, D., Clark, L.A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063-1070.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 12.45
3.58
12.21
3.59
-0.53
0.600
Results of T-Test and Descriptive Statistics for Observed Anxiety Expression (OA) by Sex Male
OA_TSST OA_Recovery
Egloff, B., Schmukle, S.C., Burns, L.R., & Schwerdtfeger, A. (2006). Spontaneous emotion regulation during evaluated speaking tasks: Associations with negative affect, anxiety expression, memory, and physiological responding. Emotion, 6(3), 356-366.
Female
M
SD
M
SD
t
p
2.86
0.57
2.91
0.51
0.45
0.651
1.26
0.27
1.20
0.31
-1.07
0.288
Note: *p < .01, **p < .05, ***p = marginally significant (.051 - .10)
I would like to thank Professor Kathleen MalleyMorrison and all the research assistants involved in the Childhood Experience and Cortisol Study (CEACS) Lab. I would also like to acknowledge the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at Boston University for providing funding in support of this project. For further information, please contact:
[email protected] 
