Social relationships and physiological function: The effects of recalling social relationships on cardiovascular reactivity

Background: The mechanisms by which social relationships exert their influence on mental and physical health outcomes deserve greater attention. Purpose: Although many studies assess the influence of actual social interactions on cardiovascular reactivity, we hypothesized that cognitive and behavioral processes (e.g., recalling and discussing relationships) may be important factors responsible for the health effects of social relationships. Methods: We had men and women recall and speak about specific relationships that differed in their underlying positive and negative substrates. Results: Results revealed that gender moderated the hypothesized pattern of responses, with women showing consistently greater cardiovascular reactivity, to the speaking task, particularly when speaking about negative relationships, compared to men. Conclusions: This study is discussed in light of recent research on gender differences in relationship outcomes as well as the potential importance of delineating the cognitive representations and processes that influence reactions to one's social environment.