Stress and Affiliation in a Hospital Setting

Abstract

This study examined stress and affiliation relationships in a natural setting by assessing the preoperative roommate preferences of 70 patients facing major (coronary bypass) surgery. No support was found for the notion, derived from social comparison theory, that novel, fear-inducing situations produce selective preferences for affiliation with others who are of similar emotional status (i.e., likewise facing threat). On the contrary, patients demonstrated a strong overall preference before surgery for a roommate who was postoperative (dissimilar emotional status) rather than preoperative (similar emotional status). The preference for a postoperative roommate held regardless of patient fear level and, with slight qualification, regardless of actual roommate assignment. Theoretical implications for social comparison formulations that have been applied to stress and affiliation research are discussed.