Social support reduces cardiovascular reactivity to psychological challenge: a laboratory model.

TLDR

The study examined how non‑evaluative social interaction affects cardiovascular responses to psychological challenge. Thirty‑nine college‑age females were assigned to either a Friend condition, with a non‑evaluative partner present, or an Alone condition, and both groups completed two laboratory tasks. Participants with a partner showed lower heart‑rate reactivity to both tasks, reduced systolic BP response in one task, and smaller diastolic BP rise during an interview, with these effects limited to Type A individuals; performance and self‑reported emotions were unchanged, suggesting that interpersonal support dampens cardiovascular reactivity to stress.

Abstract

In this study we investigated the effects of nonevaluative social interaction on the cardiovascular response to psychological challenge. Thirty-nine college-age females appeared accompanied ("Friend" condition) or unaccompanied ("Alone" condition) to an experimental laboratory. In the Friend condition, partners were present while the subject participated in two laboratory tasks, and the partners' evaluation potential was minimized by design. Subjects in the Friend condition showed reduced heart rate reactivity to both tasks, relative to the Alone group, an attenuated task-related systolic blood pressure response to one of the tasks, and a reduced diastolic blood pressure increase during a solitary interview. In two other instances, partner-related response reductions were apparent only for Type A subjects. None of these effects was accompanied by differences in task performance or self-reported emotional response. Interpersonal support may reduce cardiovascular responsivity to stress, an effect with possible implications for understanding the association between social relationships and cardiovascular risk.