Behavioral and physiological response to the presence of a friendly or neutral person in two types of stressful situations.

Abstract

Simultaneous measures of physiological arousal and affiliativc behavior were taken while subjects waited for a threatening event. One hundred and twenty males were randomly distributed over a 2X2X3 design. Firstborn or later born subjects were threatened with shock (Tear) or with sucking on infantile oral objects (embarrassment). They waited either alone, with a supportive person, or with a neutral person. The major findings were: (a) embarrassment subjects were less affiliativc and more aroused with the other than were fear subjects, (6) firstborns engaged in more affiliative behavior, particularly with the supportive person, but were not more calmed by the other than later borns, and (c) subjects with the supportive other were more affiliative and more aroused than subjects with the neutral other.