Page 51 - JCBP-3-4

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Emotion and blood pressure variability

predictors of CVD in later life and intervention programs average scores of the six SBP and DBP values, respectively.
for hypertension. Short-term BPV was calculated in two ways: the range
Based on prior literature, we hypothesized that (i) lower (max-min) and the SD of the six BP measurements. 33,43
affective accuracy would be associated with elevated BPV; 2.3. Questionnaires and computerized task
(ii) higher levels of expressive suppression and reduced
levels of cognitive appraisal would predict high BPV; and Individual differences in the habitual use of ER strategies
39
(iii) affective accuracy and ER strategy would interact to were assessed by the ER Questionnaire (ERQ). The ERQ
influence BPV. consists of a four-item subscale measuring expressive
suppression and a six-item subscale measuring cognitive
2. Materials and methods reappraisal. In the present study, ERQ showed acceptable
and good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alphas of
2.1. Participants 0.69 and 0.81 for the expressive suppression and cognitive
In the present study, the sample consisted of 54 participants reappraisal subscales, respectively.
(37 females). The sample size (N) was determined by the An affective face perception task was delivered on
power analysis using the software G*Power 3.1.9, in a computer. In the task, the participants were asked to
40
which the statistical significance level was set as α = 0.05, identify the emotion of an affective face. Face images were
medium effect size f = 0.15, and medium level power selected from the NimStim Set of Facial Expressions and
2
(1 - β) = 0.5. The mean age of the sample was 21.48 years included three types of expressions – fearful, neutral, and
(SD = 6.05 years). The participants were recruited from happy (Figure 1). Participants responded by pressing
44
psychology courses at Old Dominion University and were one of three labeled keys on a computer keyboard
screened for neurological illness, as well as behavioral and corresponding to the emotion types. They were instructed
mental disorders. Moreover, potential participants were to respond as quickly and accurately as possible. The task
excluded if they were taking psychotropic or cardioactive consisted of 144 trials (48 face images for each emotion).
medication. Given the purpose of the study, all participants In each trial, a face image was presented for up to 2.5 s
were asked to abstain from alcoholic and caffeinated or until a response was made. The interval between
drinks and tobacco for 6 h before the scheduled study. each trial was 3 s. Trials of different emotion types were
The adequacy of this 6-h abstention period for controlling randomized across all participants. Participants’ behavioral
confounding factors of cardiovascular functions is performance, including response time (RT) and accuracy,
supported by prior studies. 41,42 Participants received course was measured. Visual stimuli, instructions for the task, and
credit as compensation for their participation. The study behavioral data collection were managed by E-prime 3.0
protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board software (Psychology Software Tools, Pittsburgh, PA).
at Old Dominion University, and all participants provided
informed consent before participation. 2.4. Procedure

2.2. BP assessments On arrival at the laboratory, informed consent was
obtained, followed by measurements of height and weight
BP assessments for all participants were scheduled between and a 5-min rest period before BP assessments. After the
10 a.m. and 4 p.m. of a day. Assessments took place after a rest period, the experimenter assisted participants with the
5-min rest period following the participant’s arrival at the first BP measurement, and subsequent measurements were
laboratory. Six brachial BP measurements were taken in a scheduled every 7 min. Following the last BP measurement,
sitting position, with participants comfortably sitting in a participants completed the ERQ and were led to another
chair, maintaining an upright torso, arms resting at heart laboratory room to complete the computerized affective
level, and feet placed on the floor. A trained experimenter face perception task. There were ten practice trials, followed
will record SBP and DBP, as well as heart rate (HR), by 144 experimental trials. Participants were given a 2-min
measured from the right upper arm by an Omron Gold rest period to relax after the computer task and were then
Wireless BP monitor (Corporation, Kyoto, Japan). The thanked for their participation.
time interval between BP measurements was 7 min, during
which the participant was instructed to relax and avoid 2.5. Statistical analysis
excessive body movements. The total duration of the BP Relationships among variables were analyzed using Pearson
assessments was 40 min. correlations. To test the hypotheses, multiple regression
Mean BP and BPV were calculated based on the six BP analyses were conducted to examine the effects of emotion
measurements. Mean SBP and DBP were computed as the perception accuracy, ER, and their interaction on BPV.

Volume 3 Issue 4 (2025) 45 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.8134