An efficient acute stress response in Chinese individuals with high interdependent self-construal

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background and Objective An efficient stress response comprises both quick reactivity and rapid recovery. Studies have found an enhanced stress response in Chinese people with high interdependent self-construal (ISC). ISC is a personality trait that is well-matched with Chinese collectivistic culture, and whether they exhibit an efficient stress response has not been exclusively examined. Design We conducted a novel experiment to examine the stress response change rate in Chinese participants with varying levels of ISC，then performed a validation analysis against previous data to examine the reliability of current results. Methods In our experiment, 84 healthy (42 high-ISC and 42 low-ISC), young, native Chinese were randomly assigned to either the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), or the control condition. In the published study, 46 native Chinese participants (23 high-ISC and 23 low-ISC) had undergone the TSST. Data were collected throughout the two experiments. Results Compared to low-ISC participants, cortisol and subjective stress levels in high-ISC participants peaked sooner and declined rapidly, suggesting quick stress reactivity and rapid recovery. This finding was supported by the previous study. Conclusions High-ISC individuals display an efficient stress response pattern, manifested by fast reactivity and rapid recovery, which may be adaptive in Chinese collectivistic culture.