Socially anxious individuals perceive social interactions as threatening to their safety and consequently exhibit specific physiological and psychological anxiety reactions, referred to as stress responses. Recent studies in patients with social anxiety have shown that pharmacologically induced cortisol increase reduced the psychological stress reactivity to a socio-evaluative stressor. These results suggest a potential mechanism by which cortisol and the psychological stress response interact. Thus, we hypothesized that the relationship between social anxiety and subjective stress would be mediated, or moderated by endogenous cortisol increase during stress. Specially, we hypothesize that cortisol increase acts as a buffer for the psychological stress response. A sample of 120 healthy participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for groups (TSST-G; von Dawans, Kirschbaum, & Heinrichs, 2011). Although, we found a direct relationship of social anxiety with both the perceived subjective stress, and the cortisol increase, neither our mediation, nor moderation hypothesis were confirmed.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Zusammenfassung
Tables
Figures
Introduction
The Present Study
Method
Recruiting and Participants
Experimental Procedure
Measure of Social Anxiety (Independent Variable)
Measure of Subjective Stress (Dependent Variable)
Measure of Cortisol Increase (Proposed Mediator/ Moderator Variable)
Statistical Analyses
Results
Manipulation Check of Stress Induction
Correlational Analyses
Correlation between social anxiety and subjective stress
Correlation between social anxiety and cortisol increase
Correlation between cortisol increase and subjective stress
Intercorrelations
Correlations between baseline measures and other variables
Mediation of Subjective Stress
Moderation of Subjective Stress
Discussion
References
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