Social support and prolonged cardiovascular reactivity: The moderating influence of relationship quality and type of support

• The presence of ambivalent friends elicited heightened SBP reactivity during stressor anticipation, task performance, and recovery.
• The cardiovascular effects of mental activation of ambivalent friends were confined to task performance.
• Supportive friends did not attentuate cardiovascular reactivity compared to no support.
• Hemodynamic mechanisms for SBP effects during prolonged exposure and task performance might differ.
• Negative affect at baseline was reflected in impaired DBP and HR recovery.

The present study investigated the moderating influence of relationship quality on the cardiovascular effects of social support during anticipation of, performance of, and recovery from an evaluative speaking task. Additionally, the generalizability of effects across different types of support was addressed. Sixty normotensive female students were assigned to one of the five support conditions: active verbal support provided by either a supportive or ambivalent friend, mental activation of either a supportive or ambivalent friend, no support. Active support by an ambivalent friend was found to elicit higher magnitude increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) across all stressor phases. A detrimental influence of mental activation of ambivalent ties on SBP reactivity was observed during speech performance, only. Effects of ambivalence did not extend to experienced emotions and cognitive appraisals. The present findings extend previous research by indicating that interactions with ambivalent ties might be an important determinant of sustained cardiovascular activity.