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Brown JK, Hohman ZP, Niedbala EM, et al. Sweating the big stuff: Arousal and stress as functions of self-uncertainty and identification. Psychophysiology. 2021;58(8):e13836doi: 10.1111/psyp.13836.
Brown, J. K., Hohman, Z. P., Niedbala, E. M., & Stinnett, A. J. (2021). Sweating the big stuff: Arousal and stress as functions of self-uncertainty and identification. Psychophysiology, 58(8), e13836. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13836
Brown, Joshua K, et al. "Sweating the big stuff: Arousal and stress as functions of self-uncertainty and identification." Psychophysiology vol. 58,8 (2021): e13836. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13836
Brown JK, Hohman ZP, Niedbala EM, Stinnett AJ. Sweating the big stuff: Arousal and stress as functions of self-uncertainty and identification. Psychophysiology. 2021 Aug;58(8):e13836. doi: 10.1111/psyp.13836. Epub 2021 May 07. PMID: 33960440.
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Psychophysiology. 2021 Aug;58(8):e13836. doi: 10.1111/psyp.13836. Epub 2021 May 07.

Sweating the big stuff: Arousal and stress as functions of self-uncertainty and identification.

Psychophysiology

Joshua K Brown, Zachary P Hohman, Elizabeth M Niedbala, Alec J Stinnett

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
  2. U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, Fort Rucker, AL, USA.

PMID: 33960440 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13836

Abstract

Groups serve a variety of crucial functions, one of which is the provision of an identity and belief system that impart self-referent information, thereby reducing self-uncertainty. Entitative groups are more attractive for highly uncertain participants seeking groups for identification and self-uncertainty reduction than less entitative groups. The purpose of the current study was to explore how self-uncertainty impacts physiological arousal and stress responses. Using a mixed-methods design (N = 123), we found that self-uncertainty increased physiological arousal (measured via skin-conductance level) and stress responses (measured via heart rate). Furthermore, we found that uncertainty-activated physiological arousal and stress responses were decreased through identification with a high entitativity group. Our findings expand upon uncertainty identity theory by identifying physiological mechanisms that motivate uncertainty reduction.

© 2021 The Authors. Psychophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Keywords: HR; SCL; identification; piecewise multilevel growth curve modeling; self-uncertainty

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