AGING, RELIGIOSITY, AND REACTIVITY TO VARYING STRESSORS

该项目的总体目标是更好地了解宗教信仰如何影响老年人的心血管反应，而不是对照年轻人。先前的研究表明，宗教信仰与老年时更好的幸福感和健康状况有关。人们不太了解的是这种情况发生的机制。对其他人群的研究已经注意到一种结果模式，表明内在的(I)宗教信仰与更好的心理健康功能有关，而外在的(E)宗教信仰则相反。心理生理反应被认为是心理变量（如敌意）可能对心血管功能产生有害影响的一种手段。从理论上讲，I取向可以通过应激刺激的认知调解来抑制敌对反应。E入路的情况可能正好相反。当压力源是人际关系（提供冲突的可能性），而不是认知时，本能反应的减少更有可能发生。此外，I在缓和反应性方面的作用可能会在整个生命周期中被放大，在那些宗教信仰更突出的人身上也可能被放大。本研究的具体目的是确定宗教取向（I vs E）、年龄（年长vs年轻）和压力源类型（人际vs认知）的相互作用是否会导致心血管和敌对压力反应的显著差异。160个人的样本，一半年龄在18到24岁之间，另一半年龄在60到80岁之间，将被招募并根据宗教取向分为两组（I vs E）。然后，他们将以平衡的顺序依次暴露于两种压力源（人际压力源和认知压力源）。持续监测血压（BP）和心率（HR），并通过自我报告评估压力诱发的愤怒。在方差分析中，以宗教信仰（I、E）、年龄（年轻、年长）和压力源类型（人际、认知）作为自变量，将BP、HR和愤怒对压力源的反应作为因变量。

The general goal of this project is to better understand how religiosity may influence cardiovascular reactivity in older adults as compared to a control sample of younger adults. Previous research has shown that religiosity is associated with better well-being and health in old age. What is less well understood is the mechanism(s) by which this occurs. Studies with other populations have noted a pattern of results demonstrating that intrinsic (I) religiosity is related to better mental health functioning while the opposite is true for extrinsic (E) religiosity. Psychophysiological reactivity has been proposed as one means through which psychological variables (e.g., hostility) may exert a deleterious effect on cardiovascular functioning. Theoretically, the I orientation may dampen hostile reactivity via cognitive mediation of stressful stimuli. The opposite may occur for the E approach. Intrinsically based reduction in reactivity may be more likely when the stressor is interpersonal (providing the possibility for conflict), rather than cognitive. Further, it is possible that the effects of I in moderating reactivity may be magnified across the life span and among those for whom religiosity is more salient. The specific aim of this study is to determine if there are significant differences in cardiovascular and hostile reactivity to stress as a result of the interaction of religious orientation (I vs. E), age (older vs. younger), and type of stressor (interpersonal vs. cognitive). A sample of 160 individuals, half ranging in age from 18 to 24 years and the other half in the 60 to 80 year range, will be recruited and divided into two groups based on religious orientation (I vs. E). They will then be sequentially exposed to the two stressors (interpersonal, cognitive) in a counterbalanced order. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) will be continuously monitored and stressor induced anger will also be assessed by self-report. Change score measures of BP, HR, and anger in response to the stressor will be dependent variables in analyses of variance with religiosity (I, E), age (younger, older), and type of stressor (interpersonal, cognitive) serving as independent variables.