Social support and cardiovascular responding to laboratory stress: Moderating effects of gender role identification, sex and type of support

The objective of the present study was to examine moderating effects of gender role
identification, sex, and type of support on the buffering role of social support on
cardiovascular responses. We hypothesized that (a) gender role identification, more than
sex, would moderate the effect of social support and (b) to obtain optimal attenuating
effects of social support, type of support provided should match type of support preferred
in terms of one’s gender role identification. That is, feminine participants would benefit
more from relatively direct support, whereas masculine participants would benefit more
from indirect support. Healthy participants (N¼100) performed a psychological stressor
in the presence of a friend, after mental activation of a friend, or alone. Results revealed
no moderating effects of gender role identification whether or not in combination with
type of support. Nevertheless, results demonstrated an attenuating effect of mental
support on heart rate and cardiac output in men. It is concluded that pathways linking
social relationships and health may differ between women and men.