{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39928"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39928","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity: effects of the gender relevance of the stressor","abstract":"Previous research suggests that sex differences in cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) are a function of differences in cognitive appraisal of stressors as masculine-relevant or feminine-relevant tasks. Two studies were conducted to examine the role of the appraised gender relevance of stressors as a mediator of sex differences in CVR. In the first study the CVR of male and female college students (<u>N</u> = 95) to the cold-pressor test (CPT) was compared under masculine-relevant and gender-neutral stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were expected to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT, but not to the gender-neutral CPT. Results supported this prediction for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) reactivity, but not diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity. In the second study the CVR of male and female college students (<u>N</u> = 121) to the CPT was compared under masculine-relevant and female-relevant stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were predicted to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT while women were expected to show greater CVR to the feminine-relevant CPT. Results supported these predictions for SBP, but not HR reactivity. The results for DBP were mixed. Men did not show greater DBP reactivity than women to the masculinerelevant CPT, but women showed greater DBP reactivity than men to the feminine-relevant CPT. The potential influence of sex differences in cognitive appraisal of situations on CVR and coronary heart disease is discussed.","abstract_html":"Previous research suggests that sex differences in cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) are a function of differences in cognitive appraisal of stressors as masculine-relevant or feminine-relevant tasks. Two studies were conducted to examine the role of the appraised gender relevance of stressors as a mediator of sex differences in CVR. In the first study the CVR of male and female college students (&lt;u&gt;N&lt;/u&gt; = 95) to the cold-pressor test (CPT) was compared under masculine-relevant and gender-neutral stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were expected to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT, but not to the gender-neutral CPT. Results supported this prediction for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) reactivity, but not diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity. In the second study the CVR of male and female college students (&lt;u&gt;N&lt;/u&gt; = 121) to the CPT was compared under masculine-relevant and female-relevant stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were predicted to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT while women were expected to show greater CVR to the feminine-relevant CPT. Results supported these predictions for SBP, but not HR reactivity. The results for DBP were mixed. Men did not show greater DBP reactivity than women to the masculinerelevant CPT, but women showed greater DBP reactivity than men to the feminine-relevant CPT. The potential influence of sex differences in cognitive appraisal of situations on CVR and coronary heart disease is discussed.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lash, Steven Joseph"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Ph. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Clinical Psychology","degree_department":"Clinical Psychology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Eisler, Richard M."],"committee_members":["Finney, Jack W.","Franchina, Joseph J.","Harrison, David W.","Southard, Douglas R."],"year":1991,"date_issued":"1991-11-05","date_published":"1991-11-05","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:03Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-10142005-135812"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-10142005-135812","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39928","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Eisler, Richard M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Finney, Jack W.","Franchina, Joseph J.","Harrison, David W.","Southard, Douglas R."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lash, Steven Joseph"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:21:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:21:23Z","2005-10-14"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1991-11-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. 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Two studies were conducted to examine the role of the appraised gender relevance of stressors as a mediator of sex differences in CVR. In the first study the CVR of male and female college students (<u>N</u> = 95) to the cold-pressor test (CPT) was compared under masculine-relevant and gender-neutral stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were expected to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT, but not to the gender-neutral CPT. Results supported this prediction for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) reactivity, but not diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity. In the second study the CVR of male and female college students (<u>N</u> = 121) to the CPT was compared under masculine-relevant and female-relevant stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were predicted to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT while women were expected to show greater CVR to the feminine-relevant CPT. Results supported these predictions for SBP, but not HR reactivity. The results for DBP were mixed. Men did not show greater DBP reactivity than women to the masculinerelevant CPT, but women showed greater DBP reactivity than men to the feminine-relevant CPT. The potential influence of sex differences in cognitive appraisal of situations on CVR and coronary heart disease is discussed."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity: effects of the gender relevance of the stressor"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Eisler, Richard M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Finney, Jack W.","Franchina, Joseph J.","Harrison, David W.","Southard, Douglas R."],"dc:contributor.department":["Clinical Psychology"],"dc:creator":["Lash, Steven Joseph"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:21:23Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:21:23Z","2005-10-14"],"dc:date.issued":["1991-11-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["Previous research suggests that sex differences in cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) are a function of differences in cognitive appraisal of stressors as masculine-relevant or feminine-relevant tasks. Two studies were conducted to examine the role of the appraised gender relevance of stressors as a mediator of sex differences in CVR. In the first study the CVR of male and female college students (<u>N</u> = 95) to the cold-pressor test (CPT) was compared under masculine-relevant and gender-neutral stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were expected to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT, but not to the gender-neutral CPT. Results supported this prediction for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) reactivity, but not diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity. In the second study the CVR of male and female college students (<u>N</u> = 121) to the CPT was compared under masculine-relevant and female-relevant stressor instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were predicted to show greater CVR than women to the masculine-relevant CPT while women were expected to show greater CVR to the feminine-relevant CPT. Results supported these predictions for SBP, but not HR reactivity. The results for DBP were mixed. Men did not show greater DBP reactivity than women to the masculinerelevant CPT, but women showed greater DBP reactivity than men to the feminine-relevant CPT. The potential influence of sex differences in cognitive appraisal of situations on CVR and coronary heart disease is discussed."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-10142005-135812"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39928"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity: effects of the gender relevance of the stressor"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Clinical Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:03Z"}