@phdthesis{Gruendahl2023,
  author    = {Gr{\"u}ndahl, Marthe Erda},
  title     = {From Lab to Life: Investigating the Role of Social Contact for Anxiety and Related Autonomic Responses},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-31685},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-316859},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Social contact is an integral part of daily life. Its health-enhancing effects include reduced negative affective experiences of fear and anxiety, a phenomenon called social buffering. This dissertation studied different forms of social contact and their anxiety-buffering effects with diverse methodologies. The laboratory-based first study investigated minimal social contact in the context of pain relief learning. Results showed that the observed decreased autonomic and increased subjective fear responses following pain relief learning were independent of social influence. The minimalistic and controlled social setting may have prevented social buffering. Study 2 targeted social buffering in daily life using Ecological Momentary Assessment. We repeatedly assessed individuals' state anxiety, related cardiovascular responses, and aspects of social interactions with smartphones and portable sensors on five days. Analyses of over 1,500 social contacts revealed gender-specific effects, e.g., heart rate-reducing effects of familiarity in women, but not men. Study 3 examined anxiety, loneliness, and related social factors in the absence of social contact due to social distancing. We constructed and validated a scale measuring state and trait loneliness and isolation, and analysed its link to mental health. Results include a social buffering-like relation of lower anxiety with more trait sociability and sense of belonging. In sum, the studies showed no fear reduction by minimal social contact, but buffering effects relating to social and personal factors in more complex social situations. Anxiety responses during daily social contacts were lower with more familiar or opposite-gender interaction partners. During limited social contact, lower anxiety related to inter-individual differences in sociability, social belonging, and loneliness. By taking research from lab to life, this dissertation underlined the diverse nature of social contact and its relevance to mental health.},
  subject      = {Angst},
  language  = {en}
}