Saliva Cortisol Responses to Unpleasant Film Stimuli Differ between High and Low Trait Anxious Subjects

In contrast to the low anxious, the high anxious subjects responded with a diminished saliva cortisol response, and were divided within each film group by median split of anxiety ratings into high and low trait anxious groups, resulting in four equal-sized groups.

Abstract

The present study, which aims to investigate effects of low and high trait anxiety on saliva cortisol secretion, was performed on 64 healthy male volunteers. They were assigned either to an unpleasant or a control film. Furthermore, subjects were divided within each film group by median split of their anxiety ratings into high and low trait anxious groups, resulting in four equal-sized groups. Saliva cortisol and mood ratings were the dependent variables. In contrast to the low anxious, the high anxious subjects responded with a diminished saliva cortisol response.