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Performance feedback, self-esteem, and cardiovascular adaptation to recurring stressors
Eoin G Brown1,2, Ann-Marie Creaven1,2
1a Study of Anxiety, Stress and Health Laboratory, Department of Psychology , University of Limerick , Limerick , Ireland.
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping
|December 8, 2016
Summary
Negative performance feedback heightens cardiovascular stress responses, while positive feedback enhances habituation. Individual self-esteem also influences how people react to stress and feedback.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Cardiovascular habituation to repeated stress is crucial for understanding stress resilience.
- Individual differences, such as self-esteem, may modulate stress responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of performance feedback on cardiovascular habituation.
- To examine the role of self-esteem in moderating feedback effects on stress responses.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-six university students underwent a cardiovascular stress test with repeated mental arithmetic tasks.
- Participants received positive, negative, or no performance feedback after an initial stress exposure.
- Cardiovascular functioning was monitored across baseline, stress, recovery, and re-exposure phases.
Main Results:
- Negative feedback sensitized blood pressure reactivity to subsequent stress.
- Positive feedback promoted habituation of cardiovascular and psychological stress responses.
- Self-esteem interacted with feedback type, influencing stress reactivity.
Conclusions:
- Negative feedback can increase cardiovascular sensitivity to stressors.
- Positive feedback facilitates habituation to repeated stress exposure.
- Self-esteem is a significant factor in the individual's response to stress and feedback.
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