Acute exercise: buffering psychosocial stress responses in women.

We evaluated the experimental hypothesis that an acute bout of aerobic exercise (AE) serves as a buffer to psychosocial stress responses in low to moderate physically fit women. Forty-eight (24 White, 24 Black) 25- to 40-year-old women participated in two counterbalanced experimental conditions: an attention control and a 40-min bout of AE at 70% heart rate (HR) reserve. The attention control and AE treatments were followed by (a) 30 min of quiet rest, (b) exposure to mental and interpersonal threat, and (c) 5 min of recovery. Blood pressure (BP) and HR were monitored at baseline, during the stressors, and throughout recovery. Self-reported distress was assessed before each stressor and upon completion of the recovery period. The results provided clear evidence that exercise dampens BP reactivity to psychosocial stress. Additionally, compared with the attention placebo control, AE reduced both the frequency and intensity of anxiety-related thoughts that occur in anticipation of interpersonal threat and challenge.     

Testing the group polarization hypothesis by using logit models

This paper focuses on methodological aspects of group polarization research and has two well‐defined parts. The first part presents a methodological overview of group polarization research together with an examination of the inadequacy, under certain circumstances, of the traditional parametric approach usually used to test this phenomenon based on pre‐test/post‐test means comparison across groups. It is shown that this approach will produce masks effects when groups are heterogeneous with regard to the observed change from pre‐test to post‐test. The second part suggests an alternative methodological approach based on logit models for the analysis of contingency tables from a categorization of the variable ‘kind of shift’. This approach is illustrated and compared with the parametric approach with a simulated data set. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Constant latent odds-ratios models and the mantel-haenszel null hypothesis

In the present paper, a new family of item response theory (IRT) models for dichotomous item scores is proposed. Two basic assumptions define the most general model of this family. The first assumption is local independence of the item scores given a unidimensional latent trait. The second assumption is that the odds-ratios for all item-pairs are constant functions of the latent trait. Since the latter assumption is characteristic of the whole family, the models are called constant latent odds-ratios (CLORs) models. One nonparametric special case and three parametric special cases of the general CLORs model are shown to be generalizations of the one-parameter logistic Rasch model. For all CLORs models, the total score (the unweighted sum of the item scores) is shown to be a sufficient statistic for the latent trait. In addition, conditions under the general CLORs model are studied for the investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) by means of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. This research was supported by the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), grant number 400-20-026.     

Social support of children of divorce: Direct and stress buffering effects

This study examined the direct and stress-buffering effects of support from family adults, nonfamily adults, family children, and nonfamily children on the adjustment of 104 children of divorce. For children's reports of adjustment, significant stress-buffering (i.e., Stress x Support) interactions for support from family adults and support from nonfamily adults occurred. The lower the level of social support, the stronger the positive relation between stress and adjustment problems. In addition, at high levels of stress, children with high support from nonfamily and family adults reported fewer adjustment problems than did children with low support. However, at the lowest level of stress, children with high support from nonfamily adults were significantly more poorly adjusted than were children with low support. For parental reports of children's adjustment, support from family adults was marginally positively related to adjustment whereas support from nonfamily adults was inversely related to adjustment. Implications for intervention programs for children of divorce are discussed.     

Testing the buffering hypothesis: Perceptions of coach support and pre-competitive anxiety among male and female high school athletes

Research suggests that social support moderates or “buffers” the impact of stress on the individual and thus indirectly affects emotional well-being (Cohen and Wills, 1985). The present study sought to extend the “buffering hypothesis” to competitive sport by examining the influence of perceived coach support on competitive state anxiety among young athletes (N = 270). Results from confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) substantiated the validity of the sport-modified Social Provisions Scale (Russell and Cutrona, 1984; Ryska and Yin, 1994). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed a significant support-anxiety effect in the high trait-anxious model only (r =-.27, p .05). The present results suggest that perceived coach support represents an important mediating factor in the sport stress process among highly anxious athletes.     

Testing the buffering hypothesis: Perceptions of coach support and pre-competitive anxiety among male and female high school athletes

Research suggests that social support moderates or “buffers” the impact of stress on the individual and thus indirectly affects emotional well-being (Cohen and Wills, 1985). The present study sought to extend the “buffering hypothesis” to competitive sport by examining the influence of perceived coach support on competitive state anxiety among young athletes (N = 270). Results from confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) substantiated the validity of the sport-modified Social Provisions Scale (Russell and Cutrona, 1984; Ryska and Yin, 1994). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed a significant support-anxiety effect in the high trait-anxious model only (r =-.27, p .05). The present results suggest that perceived coach support represents an important mediating factor in the sport stress process among highly anxious athletes.     

神经及内分泌系统对社会支持缓冲应激的调节机制

应激是生活中不可避免的事件,过度应激也是许多疾病发生的诱因。应激会引起一系列生理反应,包括激活自主神经系统及神经内分泌系统,表现为自主神经系统(ANS)和下丘脑–垂体–肾上腺(HPA)活动的增加。社会支持通过改变或抑制应激相关脑区的活动,缓冲了应激引起的ANS和HPA轴活动,使机体快速恢复到应激前水平,避免应激引起的内稳定失衡对机体的伤害。     

Alternative dimensional models of personality disorder: finding a common ground

The recognition of the many limitations of the categorical model of personality disorder classification has led to the development of quite a number of alternative proposals for a dimensional classification. The purpose of this article is to suggest that future research work toward the integration of these alternative proposals within a common hierarchical structure. An illustration of a potential integration is provided using the constructs assessed within existing dimensional models. Suggestions for future research that will help lead toward a common, integrative dimensional model of personality disorder are provided.     

Parent support is less effective in buffering cortisol stress reactivity for adolescents compared to children

The goal of the present study was to investigate developmental differences in the effectiveness of parent support to alleviate hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses of children (ages 9–10, N = 40) and adolescents (ages 15–16, N = 41). We experimentally manipulated the provision of parent support during the speech preparation period before a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and examined its effect on levels of salivary cortisol secreted in response to this laboratory stressor. Analyses revealed a significant interaction of condition and age group such that social support from the parent (versus a stranger) significantly eliminated the cortisol stress response in children, but had no effect on the response among adolescents.     

Social skills and negative life events: Testing the deficit stress generation hypothesis

People who possess poor social skills have been hypothesized to experience negative events and consequently become vulnerable to psychosocial problems. This is characterized as the social skills deficit stress generation hypothesis. Two studies were conducted to examine this hypothesis. In study 1, 677 university students completed measures of social skills and negative life events that had occurred over the past three months. In study 2, 142 students participated in a 9 month, 3 wave longitudinal study that assessed social skills at times 1 and 3 and negative life events at times 2 and 3. Results of the investigations indicate generally negative associations between social skills and negative life events, but these associations were stronger concurrently than prospectively. Although social skills were predicted to be associated with negative life events that are social in nature, in most cases they were equally predictive of nonsocial negative life events. The associations between the social skills and life events were consistently small in magnitude. This research was supported in part by University of Kansas General Research allocation 3011-20-0038 and 3825-20-0038. The author expresses gratitude to Jeanne Flora, Clark Henry, and Michelle Menees for their assistance with coding.     

Social skills and negative life events: Testing the deficit stress generation hypothesis

People who possess poor social skills have been hypothesized to experience negative events and consequently become vulnerable to psychosocial problems. This is characterized as the social skills deficit stress generation hypothesis. Two studies were conducted to examine this hypothesis. In study 1, 677 university students completed measures of social skills and negative life events that had occurred over the past three months. In study 2, 142 students participated in a 9 month, 3 wave longitudinal study that assessed social skills at times 1 and 3 and negative life events at times 2 and 3. Results of the investigations indicate generally negative associations between social skills and negative life events, but these associations were stronger concurrently than prospectively. Although social skills were predicted to be associated with negative life events that are social in nature, in most cases they were equally predictive of nonsocial negative life events. The associations between the social skills and life events were consistently small in magnitude. This research was supported in part by University of Kansas General Research allocation 3011-20-0038 and 3825-20-0038. The author expresses gratitude to Jeanne Flora, Clark Henry, and Michelle Menees for their assistance with coding.     

Life stress, the "kindling" hypothesis, and the recurrence of depression: considerations from a life stress perspective

Major depression is frequently characterized by recurrent episodes over the life course. First lifetime episodes of depression, however, are typically more strongly associated with major life stress than are successive recurrences. A key theoretical issue involves how the role of major life stress changes from an initial episode over subsequent recurrences. The primary conceptual framework for research on life stress and recurrence of depression is the "kindling" hypothesis (R. M. Post, 1992). Despite the strengths of the kindling hypothesis, a review of the research literature reveals inconsistencies and confusion about life stress and its implications for the recurrence of depression. Adopting a life stress perspective, the authors introduce 3 major themes that resolve the inconsistencies in the current literature. They integrate these themes and extrapolate the ideas with available data to develop a preliminary framework for evaluating competing explanatory models and to guide research on life stress and the recurrence of depression.     

Possible role of posttraumatic stress disorder in suicide terrorists: an hypothesis

Recent reports by journalists of suicidal terrorists suggest that exposure to recent violence in traumatic situations, combined with childhood exposure to violence, may lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, which in turn may result in suicidal violence.