Table 4.
RSA Reactivity during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and Recovery Period according to Resting Baseline RSA (N=157)
| High RSA1 | Low RSA1 | RSA and PEP Reactivity2 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | (SD) | Mean | (SD) | β | p-value | |
| Preparation Reactivity3 | −0.67 | (0.99) | 0.45 | (1.01) | −.29* | <.001 |
| Speech Reactivity3 | −1.32 | (1.47) | 0.98 | (0.87) | −.48* | <.001 |
| Math Reactivity3 | −1.02 | (1.53) | 0.86 | (0.92) | −.43* | <.001 |
| Recovery3 | −0.23 | (0.39) | 0.18 | (0.53) | −.21* | .026 |
| Minute 14 | 0.80 | (1.51) | −0.45 | (1.22) | .25* | .006 |
| Minute 24 | 0.54 | (1.40) | −0.66 | (1.39) | .21* | .018 |
| Minute 34 | 0.35 | (1.38) | −0.56 | (1.24) | .13 | .155 |
| Minute 44 | 0.38 | (1.44) | −0.74 | (1.29) | .22* | .014 |
| Minute 54 | 0.52 | (1.65) | −0.82 | (1.38) | .22* | .012 |
*
p < .05, 2-sided test
Abbreviations: RSA, respiratory sinus arrhythmia
1
High RSA defined as ≥ 1 standard deviation above the mean; low RSA defined as ≤ 1 standard deviation below the mean
2
Association of baseline resting RSA with RSA reactivity (i.e., RSA during the task minus RSA at baseline) during each portion of the TSST and recovery period
3
Values represent RSA relative to baseline value; regression controls for RSA at baseline
4
Values represent RSA relative to the last minute of the TSST; regression controls for PEP during the last minute of the TSST