Social evaluative threat : the effects of evaluation on HPA axis activity in competitive dancers

Background: Research suggests that perceived Social Evaluative Threat (SET) activates the hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis resulting in the release of cortisol into the bloodstream which, if experienced frequently, may be harmful to health. However, whether the intensity of SET determines the magnitude of cortisol activity has yet to be established. Methods: This study investigated the cortisol activity of 36 healthy female dancers (mean age = 21.3; SD = 1.9) in response to a competition scenario which served as an exemplary instance of SET. The intensity of SET was varied by virtue of manipulating the number of evaluators (one/three) and the gender of evaluators (male/female). Further, the tendency to ruminate, measured by self-report, as a potential mediator was also explored. Results: In sum, this study provides the first evidence derived from field based research, that the intensity of SET moderates the magnitude of cortisol responses in humans (F (1, 30) = 10.684, p <.001) and that sex of evaluator has no impact upon cortisol activity during SET. Further, this study also found that increased rumination was associated with higher cortisol reactivity (R2 = 14%). Conclusion: Understanding the effects of rumination and other psychological processes that influence cortisol activity may help inform and develop preventative interventions which are designed to buffer the psychological mechanisms of chronic HPA axis activity.