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Date Permissions Signed
7-30-2020
Date of Award
Summer 2020
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Department or Program Affiliation
Psychology
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Lehman, Barbara J.
Second Advisor
Scollon, Christie Napa
Third Advisor
Byrne, Christina A.
Abstract
The current research examined the effects of text-messaged and in-person social support on cardiovascular and psychological stress responses. Of particular interest to this thesis was the question of whether text-messaged social support offered benefits similar to that of in-person social support. Female undergraduates (N = 49) and their female friends participated in an anticipated speech task. The participant’s friends provided either in-person (n = 14), text-messaged (n = 17) social support, or no social support (n =18). Cardiovascular and psychological outcomes were tested by incorporating a series of theoretically driven planned contrasts using HLM piecewise growth curve modeling. In-person social support did not moderate systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity but did increase SBP recovery. In-person social support reduced social evaluative threat (SET) during both reactivity and recovery. Text-messaged social support attenuated SBP responses during reactivity, but increased SBP during recovery, and also reduced SET during recovery. This study indicates that text-messaged social support can reduce cardiovascular reactivity to a stressor.
Type
Text
Keywords
social support, anticipatory stress task, social evaluative threat, challenge appraisals, emotions, blood pressure, text messages, instant messages, computer-mediated communication, cardiovascular reactivity, stress
Publisher
Western Washington University
OCLC Number
1182807350
Subject – LCSH
Social networks--Psychological aspects; Stress (Psychology); Stress (Physiology)
Format
application/pdf
Genre/Form
masters theses
Language
English
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Recommended Citation
Caley, Tabitha C. S., "Does Text Messaged Social Support Attenuate Cardiovascular and Psychological Reactivity to a Laboratory Stressor?" (2020). WWU Graduate School Collection. 971.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/971