Social rejection is conceptualized as a threat to survival, yet the physiological mechanisms at work during social rejection have not received much attention. Prior research has shown a link...Show moreSocial rejection is conceptualized as a threat to survival, yet the physiological mechanisms at work during social rejection have not received much attention. Prior research has shown a link between heart rate changes and social rejection and the possible correlation of self-esteem levels to heart rate changes. Here we examined the effect of positive and negative peer feedback on heart rate changes of participants. Fifty participants (mean age = 20.4) took part in the newly developed social evaluation through feedback (SELF)- paradigm where they predicted, then received social evaluative feedback from four peers who differed in their probability of giving social acceptance versus rejection feedback. We hypothesized that social rejection would result in a transient slowing of heart rate and that this effect would be more prominent with unexpected social rejection. We also expected to find a significant difference in heart rate changes towards each different peer. Moreover, we expected self-esteem to influence heart rate reactions to feedback. As predicted, results revealed a more pronounced deceleration of heart rate during unexpected rejection, though this effect was also found with unexpected social acceptance. Difference in heart rate in response to feedback from each different peers was found, namely a transient slowing of heart rate for negative feedback from Peer 1 and positive feedback from Peer 4. Moreover, levels of self-esteem did not explain a significant amount of variance in heart rate changes. Future research should focus on a larger and more diverse sample size in order to confirm the current findings. This study added to current literature by again confirming a brake in heart rate during unexpected social rejection and by finding new results in heart rate during unexpected social acceptance from a more negative peer.Show less
The current study aimed to investigate the influence of positive feedback from peers on positive and negative affect in highly socially anxious students. High social anxiety is related to low...Show moreThe current study aimed to investigate the influence of positive feedback from peers on positive and negative affect in highly socially anxious students. High social anxiety is related to low positive affect and high negative affect. Positive affect is considered as a global and unidimensional factor that refers to valence and not to a specific positive emotion, that makes life enjoyable and also contributes in the increase of psychological flexibility and social bonds development. In the present study, 40 university students were asked to perform a speech task and received positive or neutral feedback from two individuals of the same age immediately after the speech. In order to see whether there are changes in positive affect and negative affect, each affect was measured at two time points, session one and session two with a 1-week interval. Results showed that participants who received positive feedback interpreted the feedback more positively than participants who received neutral feedback. There was no significant difference between positive and neutral feedback conditions on the positive affect and negative affect levels. Furthermore, positive affect seemed to decrease from the first to second session regardless of the feedback received, and negative affect was relatively stable. These findings are in contrast to previous findings regarding social anxiety and social feedback with positive valence in social situations. Our results suggest that people with social anxiety do attend to positive social situations but that this does not necessarily influence the way they feel to be more positive.Show less
