Cardiovascular reactivity during dyadic social interaction: The roles of gender and dominance

The present study examined relationships among gender, trait dominance, and cardiovascular reactivity assessed during dyadic social interactions between same-gender and same-ethnicity participants. One-hundred sixty dyads, 76 comprised of African American participants and 84 comprised of European American participants, engaged in three 4-min discussions while their heart rate and blood pressure responses were assessed. All dyads were composed of unacquainted partners. Multilevel modeling for dyadic data revealed that trait dominance was significantly and positively associated with blood pressure reactivity during the discussions, but only among men who interacted with a highly dominant partner. The results of the present study add to the weight of the evidence identifying dominance as a social domain of significance for cardiovascular functioning, particularly among men. Potential reasons for gender-specific patterning are considered.