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DOES SOCIAL STATUS PREDICT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENOCORTICAL ACTIVITY?

Miller, Karissa G. (2014) DOES SOCIAL STATUS PREDICT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENOCORTICAL ACTIVITY? Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Lack of control and threats to social standing, whether evoked by acute or chronic stressors or reflected in symptoms of depression, are salient correlates of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. These conditions are also reminiscent of low social status (subordination), which has long been associated with HPA activity in non-human primates. In humans, interpersonal dominance and socioeconomic indicators are often used interchangeably to describe social status, but have distinctly different referents. Here, we examined the relationship of these two status constructs with three indices of HPA functioning [Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), diurnal decline in cortisol (slope), and cortisol Area Under the Curve (AUC)] in 488 employed, healthy volunteers (30-54 yrs; M=43; 53% F; 83% White). Measurements of salivary cortisol were taken on five occasions during three workdays and one non-workday. Cortisol indices were averaged over work days, and non-workday indices were analyzed separately. A trait measure of dominance was calculated using items from the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised, and socioeconomic status (SES) was indexed to participants’ annual income, years of education, and occupational grade. Trait dominance and SES were entered separately as predictors of each HPA index in hierarchical linear regressions adjusted for age, sex, and race. A three variable composite of SES did not associate with cortisol, but an index restricted to income and occupation did. Both low trait dominance and low income and occupation derived SES associated with a larger workday CAR (β= -.13, p=.02 and β= -.17, p=.007) and flatter workday diurnal slope (β= -.11, p=.03and β= -.16, p=.002), but were unrelated to AUC or any non-workday indices. Trait dominance and SES were only weakly correlated (r=.08, p=.09), and findings persisted when the two predictors were entered together in regression models. These results show two largely independent conceptualizations of social status in humans related to metrics of cortisol activity.


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Details

Item Type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Miller, Karissa G.kgm18@pitt.eduKGM18
ETD Committee:
TitleMemberEmail AddressPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairManuck, Stephen B.manuck@pitt.eduMANUCK
Committee MemberKamarck, Thomas W.tkam@pitt.eduTKAM
Committee MemberMarsland, Anna L.marsland@pitt.eduMARSLAND
Date: 22 May 2014
Date Type: Publication
Defense Date: 25 November 2013
Approval Date: 22 May 2014
Submission Date: 7 April 2014
Access Restriction: No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Number of Pages: 88
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Psychology
Degree: MS - Master of Science
Thesis Type: Master's Thesis
Refereed: Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords: social status, status, cortisol, socioeconomic status, CAR, diurnal slope, AUC
Date Deposited: 22 May 2014 19:57
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2016 14:18
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21090

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