Moderators of Cardiovascular Reactivity to Speech: Discourse Production and Group Variations in Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-1998
Department
Psychology
School
Psychology
Abstract
To explain why speech produces cardiovascular reactivity, an experiment utilized speech tasks varying in self-disclosure and cognitive preparation and measured the blood pressure and pulse rate of African-American and Caucasian, men and women subjects. One hundred and fifty-six college students with a median age of 21 volunteered to participate. The extemporaneous speech task produced lower systolic blood pressure than the prepared speech task. Self-disclosive speech resulted in lower diastolic blood pressure than non-disclosive speech. Females showed higher pulse rate and men exhibited greater diastolic blood pressure while speaking. Results supported previous research suggesting that women are myocardiacal hyperreactors, while men are vascular hypperreactors and suggest that production processes moderate cardiovascular reactivity to speech. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Title
International Journal of Psychophysiology
Volume
29
Issue
3
First Page
247
Last Page
254
Recommended Citation
Tardy, C. H.,
Allen, M.
(1998). Moderators of Cardiovascular Reactivity to Speech: Discourse Production and Group Variations in Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 29(3), 247-254.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/5023