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Trait dominance and cardiovascular functioning during social stress.
Eimear M Lee1, Brian M Hughes2
1School of Psychology and Sport Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Summary
Higher dominance in women may blunt systolic blood pressure responses to social stress, while lower dominance is linked to slower cardiovascular recovery after stress. This impacts understanding stress and personality.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Personality Science
Background:
- Cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to stress is a predictor of future health outcomes.
- Individual personality differences, such as dominance, may influence CVR and health disparities.
- Dominance is characterized by assertiveness and a desire for social hierarchy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between dominance levels and cardiovascular reactivity during social and asocial stressors.
- To examine how personality traits influence physiological responses to different types of stress.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-one women were categorized into low, moderate, or high dominance groups using the Jackson Personality Research Form.
- Participants underwent cardiovascular measurements (including systolic blood pressure) during baseline, stressor (social or asocial), and recovery phases.
- A 3 × 2 × 3 analysis of covariance was employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction was found for systolic blood pressure (SBP) across phase, stressor type, and dominance level.
- Women with lower and moderate dominance showed greater SBP responses to social stress compared to asocial stress.
- Women with higher dominance exhibited blunted SBP responses during social stress and attenuated recovery.
Conclusions:
- Higher dominance is associated with blunted systolic blood pressure reactivity during social stress.
- Lower dominance is linked to attenuated recovery of systolic blood pressure following social stress.
- Dominance influences cardiovascular responses to social stressors, with implications for understanding stress and health.
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