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Personal Video

Abstract

THE IMPACT OF PERSONALITY, INTERPERSONAL, AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ON SALIVARY CORTISOL DURING A STRESSFUL LABORATORY TASK 

 

Kylee Dawn Amos 

 

Clarissa Richardson 

Department of Psychology and Communication Studies, University of Idaho 

          Stress can have profound impacts on mental and physical well-being. The body’s physiological response to a stressful event is influenced by a myriad of factors. However, very few studies have examined the multidimensional factors that influence stress reactivity. This study aimed to analyze the personality, interpersonal, and emotional traits which contribute to stress reactivity. Survey measures were used to assess perfectionism (Standards and Discrepancy), emotion regulation (Suppression and Reappraisal), interpersonal factors (Social Connectedness and Emotional Expressiveness), and psychological outcomes of depression, anxiety, and stress. All participants engaged in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a standardized stress task, which involved a 5-minute speech followed by a 5-minute mental arithmetic task in front of a confederate audience. Salivary cortisol was assessed throughout the study to measure participants’ physiological stress response. An area under the curve for increase (AUCI) was calculated to quantify participants’ stress reactivity. Consistent with hypotheses, results suggested that individuals higher in Discrepancy, Suppression, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress had lower physiological stress reactivity (AUCI) than those who scored lower on these measures; individuals lower in emotional expressiveness also had lower AUCI values. Although most results were not significant given our small sample size, medium to large effect sizes were found for each of the effects, suggesting a need to continue collecting data. These results are consistent with prior research showing that individuals who are chronically stressed, or even depressed, exhibit a blunted physiological stress response upon awakening as well as during acute laboratory stressors. 

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