PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND COPING AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS

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Understanding individual differences in physiological responses to psychological stress could help in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Identifying those people who are more susceptible to these disorders is the primary aim of many researchers in the area of psychophysiology. The proposed studies will examine the effects of age, coping style, and chronic stress on cardiovascular responses and cholesterol levels. The first study will examine differences in the way college students and older adults physiologically respond to and behaviorally cope with two racist situations - a Black being harassed by a White authority figure and a Black being harassed by a Black authority figure. In addition, the ability of the Black Nationalism Survey (BNS), the Cook and Medley Hostility Scale and the Anger Expression Scale (AX) to predict physiological responses will be investigated. It is hypothesized that college students will identify with the anger out coping strategy and will have greater physiological responses to the racist situations. Secondly, it is hypothesized that the college students will score higher on the BNS as well as the Cook Medley Hostility Scale. Thirdly, it is predicted that individuals who score high on these personality inventories will have increased cardiovascular responses to the stressor. Last, it is expected that there will be greater physiological responses to the White on Black racist scene. The second study will examine the effects of chronic stress on changes in cholesterol levels and cardiovascular responses. Cholesterol levels of college students will be assessed at the beginning of the semester (low stress period) and again during exam time (high stress period). The ability of the BNS, Cook and Medley Hostility Scale and the Anger Expression Scale (AX) to predict changes in cholesterol levels will be investigated. It is hypothesized that cholesterol levels and cardiovascular reactivity to the laboratory stressor will be higher during the high stress period as opposed to the low stress period. It is also hypothesized that the personality inventories will be significant predictors of differences in cholesterol levels between the first and second assessments.