Andrew W Manigault1, Alex Woody2, Peggy M Zoccola3, Sally S Dickerson4. 1. Department of Psychology, Ohio University, 200 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, USA. 2. Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA. 3. Department of Psychology, Ohio University, 200 Porter Hall, Athens, OH, 45701, USA. zoccola@ohio.edu. 4. Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York City, NY, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Researchers benefit from controlling for individual differences that systematically account for variance in acute cortisol responses (e.g., sex). Similarly, some suggest that education could be used as a cortisol covariate because prior work found a negative relationship between education and the magnitude of acute cortisol responses in middle-aged adults. Nevertheless, education is seldom controlled for in tests of cortisol responses to acute stress, in part because the effect of education on acute cortisol responses has yet to be tested in a college sample. The present study therefore tested the relationship between education and cortisol responses to acute stress in college students. METHOD: Participants (124 healthy undergraduate students) self-reported education level and were subjected to a stressful speech task. Salivary cortisol was collected 0, + 15, + 25, + 40, and + 55 min post-stressor onset. Participant also completed a battery of questionnaires assessing individual differences, day-to-day demands, and stress-related appraisals. RESULTS: Students in their fourth year of college education or above had significantly less curvilinear responses to the stress task relative to first-, second-, and third-year students. CONCLUSION: The effect of education on cortisol responses previously found in middle-aged adults was replicated in college students. Future research may therefore benefit from controlling for education when analyzing acute cortisol responses in college samples.
PURPOSE: Researchers benefit from controlling for individual differences that systematically account for variance in acute cortisol responses (e.g., sex). Similarly, some suggest that education could be used as a cortisol covariate because prior work found a negative relationship between education and the magnitude of acute cortisol responses in middle-aged adults. Nevertheless, education is seldom controlled for in tests of cortisol responses to acute stress, in part because the effect of education on acute cortisol responses has yet to be tested in a college sample. The present study therefore tested the relationship between education and cortisol responses to acute stress in college students. METHOD:Participants (124 healthy undergraduate students) self-reported education level and were subjected to a stressful speech task. Salivary cortisol was collected 0, + 15, + 25, + 40, and + 55 min post-stressor onset. Participant also completed a battery of questionnaires assessing individual differences, day-to-day demands, and stress-related appraisals. RESULTS: Students in their fourth year of college education or above had significantly less curvilinear responses to the stress task relative to first-, second-, and third-year students. CONCLUSION: The effect of education on cortisol responses previously found in middle-aged adults was replicated in college students. Future research may therefore benefit from controlling for education when analyzing acute cortisol responses in college samples.
Authors: Carly E Herbison; David Henley; Julie Marsh; Helen Atkinson; John P Newnham; Stephen G Matthews; Stephen J Lye; Craig E Pennell Journal: Stress Date: 2016-03-03 Impact factor: 3.493
Authors: Mírian Celly Medeiros Miranda David; Gilberto Ramos Vieira; Lívia Maria de Lima Leôncio; Letycia Dos Santos Neves; Clécia Gabriela Bezerra; Marina Souza Barbosa de Mattos; Nataly Ferreira Dos Santos; Flávio Henrique de Santana; Rodolfo Barbosa Antunes; John Fontenele Araújo; Rhowena Jane Barbosa de Matos Journal: J Affect Disord Rep Date: 2022-07-03