Kentaro Shirotsuki1, Shuhei Izawa2, Nagisa Sugaya3, Kenta Kimura4, Namiko Ogawa5, Kosuke Chris Yamada6, Yuichiro Nagano7. 1. Faculty of Human Sciences, Musashino University, 3-3-3, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8181, Japan. kenshiro@musashino-u.ac.jp. 2. Occupational Stress Research Group, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kaganawa, Japan. 3. Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan. 4. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan. 5. Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan. 6. Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan. 7. Bunkyo Gakuin University, Saitama, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Social evaluative threat activates the HPA-axis system, namely cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) responses. Additionally, cognitive and behavioral models in social anxiety, which is aroused anxiety symptoms in social situations, indicate that negative cognitions have a role in the maintenance of symptoms. Thus, the present study examined the relationship between HPA-axis activity and cognitive features in social situations. METHOD: We conducted the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) with 44 male participants and assessed HPA-axis responses, fear of negative evaluation, the estimated social cost, and self-perceptions of their speech performance, which are core negative cognitions in social situations. RESULTS: Results revealed that the cortisol-DHEA ratio significantly correlated with self-perceptions of participants' speech performance (r = .30, p = .044) and the discrepancy between self-ratings and others' ratings of the speech (r = .44, p = .003). After controlling for depressive symptoms, significant correlations remained (r = .39, p = .01 and r = .50, p = .001, respectively). In addition, the estimated social cost, assessed before the speech task, significantly correlated with both the AUCg cortisol (r = .38, p = .011) and cortisol-DHEA ratios (r = .40, p = .007). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that estimating social costs in social situations, as well as distorted self-perceptions of that stressor, is related to dysfunctional endocrine regulation.
BACKGROUND: Social evaluative threat activates the HPA-axis system, namely cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) responses. Additionally, cognitive and behavioral models in social anxiety, which is aroused anxiety symptoms in social situations, indicate that negative cognitions have a role in the maintenance of symptoms. Thus, the present study examined the relationship between HPA-axis activity and cognitive features in social situations. METHOD: We conducted the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) with 44 male participants and assessed HPA-axis responses, fear of negative evaluation, the estimated social cost, and self-perceptions of their speech performance, which are core negative cognitions in social situations. RESULTS: Results revealed that the cortisol-DHEA ratio significantly correlated with self-perceptions of participants' speech performance (r = .30, p = .044) and the discrepancy between self-ratings and others' ratings of the speech (r = .44, p = .003). After controlling for depressive symptoms, significant correlations remained (r = .39, p = .01 and r = .50, p = .001, respectively). In addition, the estimated social cost, assessed before the speech task, significantly correlated with both the AUCg cortisol (r = .38, p = .011) and cortisol-DHEA ratios (r = .40, p = .007). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that estimating social costs in social situations, as well as distorted self-perceptions of that stressor, is related to dysfunctional endocrine regulation.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cost bias; Perception; Social anxiety disorder; Social situation; Social threat; Trier Social Stress Test
Authors: Jean-Baptiste Bouillon-Minois; Marion Trousselard; Bruno Pereira; Jeannot Schmidt; Maelys Clinchamps; David Thivel; Ukadike Chris Ugbolue; Farès Moustafa; Céline Occelli; Guillaume Vallet; Frédéric Dutheil Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-04-12 Impact factor: 3.390