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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Cardiovascular reactivity during public speaking as a function of personality variables
1Psychophysiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Baruch College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York, 17 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA.
Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of a real-life stressor (public speaking) upon cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). Changes in blood pressure and heart rate from baseline to task were measured in a sample of 86 men and women. The purpose was to examine the effects of individual differences (Type A personality, hostility and gender) on CVR. Participants gave a 6-min oral presentation during which they were evaluated by their professor and with classmates as the audience. Results indicated that all participants had marked CVR during public speaking. There were differences in reactivity patterns between men and women, but personality did not play a role except for high hostile men. It is suggested that intense stressors may result in high levels of CVR independent of personality variables that moderate reactivity at lower levels of stress.
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