Momentary Reports of Social-Evaluative Threat Predict Ambulatory Blood Pressure

Abstract

Although laboratory research indicates that social-evaluative threat evokes a physical stress response, naturalistic studies of its situational determinants remain scarce. This work investigates the correlates of naturally occurring social-evaluative threats and tests the effects of situational control and social-evaluative threat on cardiovascular functioning. A total of 99 undergraduate students wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for 4 days. Following hourly activations of the monitor, participants described their activities at the time the monitor activated and rated situational control and social-evaluative threat. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated relative elevations in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure at times when participants reported more social-evaluative threat. Increases in heart rate were observed in low control situations. Cardiovascular reactivity to social-evaluative threat was observed in a young healthy sample during real-life social interactions, suggesting that situation-specific reactivity to social-evaluative threat does occur and that social-evaluative threat may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.