Abstract
One hundred fifteen US undergraduates primarily of African and European heritage were presented an easy or difficult memory challenge and led to believe they could secure a traditionally feminine incentive by meeting it. As expected, heart rate responses during the work period were stronger under difficult- than easy conditions among women, but low under both difficulty conditions among men. Systolic- and diastolic blood pressure responses during the period were similar except that they were relatively elevated in men under both difficulty conditions. Findings support the suggestion that gender effects in studies of cardiovascular response to performance challenge may be partially understood in terms of effort processes occurring where men and women place different value on available performance incentives.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2000). Challenge and threat appraisals: The role of affective cues. In J. Forgas (Ed.) Feeling and thinking: The role of affect in social cognition (pp. 59–82). Paris: Cambridge University Press.
Blascovich, J., Mendes, W. B., Hunter, S. B., & Lickel, B. (2000). Stigma, threat, and social interactions. In T. F. Heatherton, R. E. Kleck, M. R. Hebl, & J. G. Hull (Eds.) The social psychology of stigma (pp. 307–333). New York: Guilford.
Blascovich, J., & Tomaka, J. (1996). The biopsychosocial model of arousal regulation. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.) Advances in experimental social psychology, 29 (pp. 1–51). New York: Academic.
Brehm, J. W., & Self, E. (1989). The intensity of motivation. In M. R. Rosenweig, & L. W. Porter (Eds.) Annual Review of Psychology (pp. 109–131). Palo Alto: Annual Reviews.
Brown, P. C., & Smith, T. W. (1992). Social influence, marriage, and the heart: Cardiovascular consequences of interpersonal control in husbands and wives. Health Psychology, 11, 88–96.
Browning, R. C., Baker, E. A., Herron, J. A., & Kram, R. (2006). Effects of obesity and sex on energetic cost and preferred speed of walking. Journal of Applied Physiology, 100, 390–398.
Browning, R. C., & Kram, R. (2005). Energetic cost and preferred speed of walking in obese and vs. normal weight women. Obesity Research, 13, 891–899.
Davis, M. C., & Matthews, K. A. (1996). Do gender-relevant characteristics determine cardiovascular reactivity? Match versus mismatch of traits and situations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 527–535.
Gendolla, G. H. E., & Wright, R. A. (2005). Motivation in social settings: Studies of effort-related cardiovascular arousal. In J. P. Forgas, K. Williams, & B. von Hippel (Eds.) Social motivation: Conscious and nonconscious processes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jamieson, J. (2004). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with difference scores. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 52, 277–283.
Jorgenson, R. S., & Houston, B. K. (1981). The Type A behavior pattern, sex differences, and cardiovascular response to and recovery from stress. Motivation and Emotion, 5, 201–214.
Kelsey, R. M., Soderlund, K., & Arthur, C. M. (2004). Cardiovascular reactivity and adaptation to recurrent psychological stress: Replication and extension. Psychophysiology, 41, 924–934.
Langer, E. J., & Abelson, R. P. (1972). The semantics of asking a favor: How to succeed without really dying. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 26–32.
Lash, S. J., Gillespie, B. L., Eisler, R. M., & Southard, D. R. (1991). Sex differences in cardiovascular reactivity: Effects of gender relevance of the stressor. Health Psychology, 10, 392–398.
Light, K. C. (1981). Cardiovascular responses to effortful active coping: Implications for the role of stress in hypertension development. Psychophysiology, 20, 301–312.
Llabre, M. M., Spitzer, S. B., Saab, P. G., Ironson, G. H., & Schneiderman, N. (1991). The reliability and specificity of delta versus residualized change as measures of cardiovascular reactivity to behavioral challenges. Psychophysiology, 28, 701–711.
Matthews, K. M., Davis, M. C., Stoney, C. M., Owens, J. F., & Caggiula, A. R. (1991). Does the gender relevance of the stressor influence sex differences in psychophysiological responses? Health Psychology, 10, 112–120.
Matthews, K. M., & Stoney, C. M. (1988). Influence of sex and age on cardiovascular responses during stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 50, 46–56.
Obrist, P. A. (1981). Cardiovascular Physiology: A Perspective. New York: Plenum.
Obrist, P. A., Gebelein, C. J., Teller, E. S., Langer, A. W., Grignolo, A., Light, K. C., et al. (1978). The relationship among heart rate, carotid dp/dt and blood pressure in humans as a function of the type of stress. Psychophysiology, 15, 102–115.
Saab, P. G. (1989). Cardiovascular and neuroendocrine response to challenge in males and females. In N. Schneiderman, S. M. Weiss, & P. G. Kaufmann (Eds.) Handbook of research methods in cardiovascular behavioral medicine (pp. 453–481). New York: Plenum.
Smith, T. W., Limon, J. P., Gallo, L. C., & Ngu, L. Q. (1996). Interpersonal control and cardiovascular activity: Goals, behavioral expression, and the moderating effects of sex. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 1012–1024.
Stoney, C. M., Davis, M. C., & Matthews, K. A. (1987). Sex difference in physiological responses to stress and in coronary disease: A causal link? Psychophysiology, 24, 127–131.
Thayer, R. E. (1989). The biopsychology of mood and arousal. New York: Oxford University Press.
Van Egeren, L. F. (1979). Cardiovascular changes during social competition during a mixed motive game. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 858–864.
Winer, B. J. (1971). Statistical principles in experimental design (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Wright, R. A. (1996). Brehm’s theory of motivation as a model of effort and cardiovascular response. In P. M. Gollwitzer, & J. A. Bargh (Eds.) The psychology of action: Linking cognition and motivation to behavior (pp. 425–453). New York: Guilford.
Wright, R. A., & Kirby, L. D. (2001). Effort determination of cardiovascular response: An integrative analysis with applications in social psychology. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.) Advances in experimental social psychology (vol. 33) (pp. 255–307). San Diego, CA, USA: Academic.
Wright, R. A., & Lockard, S. (2006). Sex, outcome expectancy, and cardiovascular response to a masculine appetitive challenge. Psychophysiology, 43, 190–196.
Wright, R. A., Murray, J. B., Storey, P. L., & Williams, B. L. (1997). Ability analysis of gender relevance and sex differences in cardiovascular response to behavioral challenge. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 405–417.
Zillmann, D. (1983). Transfer of excitation in emotional behavior. In J. T. Cacioppo, & R. E. Petty (Eds.)Social psychophysiology: A sourcebook (pp. 215–240). New York: Guilford.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Preparation of the manuscript was partially supported by National Science Foundation Grant BCS-0450941.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frazier, B.D., Barreto, P. & Wright, R.A. Gender, Perceptions of Incentive Value, and Cardiovascular Response to a Performance Challenge. Sex Roles 59, 14–20 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9440-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9440-4