Public self-consciousness moderates the link between displacement behaviour and experience of stress in women. (July 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mohiyeddini, Changiz; Bauer, Stephanie; Semple, Stuart
• Is Part Of: Stress. Volume 16:Number 4(2013:Jul.)
• Page Start: 384
• Page End: 392
• Publication Date: 2013-07
• Subjects: Stress (Physiology) -- Periodicals; 616.98
• DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2012.755171
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1025-3890

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>When stressed, people typically show elevated rates of displacement behaviour – activities such as scratching and face touching that seem irrelevant to the ongoing situation. Growing evidence indicates that displacement behaviour may play a role in regulating stress levels, and thus may represent an important component of the coping response. Recently, we found evidence that this stress-regulating effect of displacement behaviour is found in men but not in women. This sex difference may result from women's higher levels of public self-consciousness, which could inhibit expression of displacement behaviour due to the fear of projecting an inappropriate image. Here, we explored the link between public self-consciousness, displacement behaviour and stress among 62 healthy women (mean age = 26.59 years; SD = 3.61). We first assessed participants' public self-consciousness, and then quantified displacement behaviour, heart rate and cognitive performance during a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and used self-report questionnaires to assess the experience of stress afterwards. Public self-consciousness was negatively correlated with rate of displacement behaviour, and positively correlated with both the subjective experience of stress post-TSST and the number of mistakes in the cognitive task. Moderation analyses revealed that for women high in public self-consciousness, high levels of displacement behaviour were associated with higher reported levels of stress and poorer cognitive performance. For women low in public self-consciousness, stress levels and cognitive performance were unrelated to displacement behaviour. Our findings indicate that public self-consciousness is associated with both the expression of displacement behaviour and how such behaviour mediates responses to social stress.</p> </abstract>