AGING, RELIGIOSITY, AND REACTIVITY TO VARYING STRESSORS

该项目的总体目标是与年轻人的对照样本相比，更好地了解宗教信仰如何影响老年人的心血管反应性。此前的研究表明，虔诚的宗教信仰与晚年的幸福和健康有关。人们不太了解的是这种情况发生的机制(S)。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，而外部的(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)对心血管功能产生有害影响的一种手段。从理论上讲，i定向可能通过对应激刺激的认知调节来抑制敌对反应。E方法可能会出现相反的情况。当压力源是人际关系(为冲突提供可能性)，而不是认知时，基于本质的反应性降低可能更有可能。此外，I在调节反应性方面的作用可能会在一生中放大，并在那些对宗教信仰更突出的人中发挥作用。这项研究的具体目的是确定由于宗教取向(I与E)、年龄(年长与年轻)和应激源类型(人际与认知)的交互作用，是否存在显著的心血管和对压力的敌意反应。将招募160人作为样本，其中一半的年龄在18岁到24岁之间，另一半的年龄在60岁到80岁之间，并根据宗教取向将其分为两组。然后，他们将以一种平衡的顺序依次暴露于这两种压力源(人际压力和认知压力)。血压(BP)和心率(HR)将被持续监测，应激源引发的愤怒也将通过自我报告进行评估。血压、心率和愤怒对应激源的反应的变化分数测量将是因变量，以宗教信仰(I，E)、年龄(年轻，年长)和应激源类型(人际，认知)作为自变量进行方差分析。

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.