Socially anxious individuals perceive social interactions as threatening to their safety and consequently exhibit specific physiological and psychological anxiety reactions, referred to as stress responses. Recent studies in patients with social anxiety have shown that pharmacologically induced cortisol increase reduced the psychological stress reactivity to a socio-evaluative stressor. These results suggest a potential mechanism by which cortisol and the psychological stress response interact. Thus, we hypothesized that the relationship between social anxiety and subjective stress would be mediated, or moderated by endogenous cortisol increase during stress. Specially, we hypothesize that cortisol increase acts as a buffer for the psychological stress response. A sample of 120 healthy participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for groups (TSST-G; von Dawans, Kirschbaum, & Heinrichs, 2011). Although, we found a direct relationship of social anxiety with both the perceived subjective stress, and the cortisol increase, neither our mediation, nor moderation hypothesis were confirmed.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Abstract
- Zusammenfassung
- Table of Contents
- Tables
- Figures
- Introduction
- The Present Study
- Method
- Recruiting and Participants
- Experimental Procedure
- Measure of Social Anxiety (Independent Variable)
- Measure of Subjective Stress (Dependent Variable)
- Measure of Cortisol Increase (Proposed Mediator/ Moderator Variable)
- Statistical Analyses
- Results
- Manipulation Check of Stress Induction
- Correlational Analyses
- Correlation between social anxiety and subjective stress
- Correlation between social anxiety and cortisol increase
- Correlation between cortisol increase and subjective stress
- Intercorrelations
- Correlations between baseline measures and other variables
- Mediation of Subjective Stress
- Moderation of Subjective Stress
- Discussion
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study investigates the relationship between social anxiety, subjective stress, and salivary cortisol. The primary objective is to determine whether cortisol increase during stress mediates or moderates the relationship between social anxiety and subjective stress. The study aims to explore a potential mechanism by which cortisol and the psychological stress response interact.
- The relationship between social anxiety and subjective stress
- The role of salivary cortisol in stress responses
- The potential mediation and moderation effects of cortisol on the relationship between social anxiety and subjective stress
- The application of the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G) as a stress induction method
- The implications of these findings for understanding the physiological and psychological aspects of social anxiety
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The Introduction provides an overview of the relationship between social anxiety and stress responses, highlighting the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in regulating these responses. The study's hypothesis is presented, proposing that cortisol increase during stress may act as a buffer for the psychological stress response in individuals with social anxiety. The Method section details the study design, including the participant recruitment, experimental procedure, and measures used to assess social anxiety, subjective stress, and salivary cortisol. The Results section presents the findings of the study, including the manipulation check of stress induction, correlational analyses, and analyses of the mediation and moderation hypotheses. The Discussion section interprets the results, considering their implications for understanding the relationship between social anxiety, subjective stress, and cortisol.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords of this study are social anxiety, subjective stress, salivary cortisol, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G), mediation, moderation, stress response, physiological and psychological anxiety reactions, stress induction.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Alexandra Schulz (Autor:in), 2011, The relationship between social anxiety, subjective stress and salivary cortisol, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/215275
