Couples? neuroendocrine activity in response to family conflict discussions: the role of self-reported anger and previous marital aggression
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study investigated whether wives? and husbands? hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocorticol (HPA) axis activity, as measured through cortisol, is associated with their own and their partner?s anger during a family conflict discussion, and whether previous marital conflict alters the HPA axis response. Fifty-six middle-aged couples provided 4 saliva samples: immediately following a relaxation task, immediately following a conflict discussion, 10 minutes post-discussion, and 20 minutes post-discussion. The spouses also reported on anger they experienced during the conflict discussion and frequency of marital aggression during the past year. Husbands reporting high anger showed greater overall cortisol activity than husbands reporting no anger. Wives reporting high anger did not show similar cortisol activity. Previous marital conflict interacted with discussion-specific anger. There is evidence of a trend such that husbands with low anger and low previous aggression did not show the same post-discussion cortisol increase as did husbands with previous aggression or with current anger. The implications of these findings for relational functioning and health are discussed in light of the commonality of family conflict as an everyday stressor.
Author: Rodriguez, Aubrey Joy (author)
Language: English
Subfield: Behavioral Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2281822482