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Individual differences
in stress responses:
hormonal correlates
Ferran Suay
Department of Psychobiology
Universitat de València
We will speak about
Coping
Is there a good way to cope?
... and a bad one?
Aggressive behavior and hormones
Aggression as a way to cope with life
Leaders and survivers
Animal and human aggression
Individual differences
Reference studies
Our results
coping
Is there a good way of coping?
Aggressive behavior = coping
Animal and human
Why hormones and behavior
Behavior = 1st adapting system
Hormones= 2nd intention adapting system
Interaction: key of adaptation?
About aggression
General behavior in all species
Animals: unicity
Humans: diversity
Problems:
Finding comparable situations
Experimental strategies with human beens
Human aggression
Many types
Topographycally
different
Dificult to assimilate
Sports competition
= aggressive behavior
= competence for
resources
≠ controlled (rules)
≠ regulated
≠ experimental facilities
Hormones and aggression
Hypothalamus-Pituitary Axis (HPA)
Testosterone (T)
Androgenic: aggression
Anabolic
Cortisol (C)
Catabolic (energy)
Stress hormones
& immunitary system
Initial hypothesis
Biosocial (Mazur 1985)
Winning T↑
Loosig T↓
Rodents, primates...human !?
EXPERIMENTAL STRATEGY
IV DV
Competitive Psychobiological
situation response
Result Hormones
Physical effort Psychological measures
Competitive situations induce hormonal
changes, as a function of the outcome
(Archer, 1988; Brain, 1990).
HPA
rodents:
Testosterona
Defeat ↓T
Sport competitions
• Valid situations to study
aggressive behavior
• Combat sports ≈
interpersonal aggression
Our studies with judo fighters
Competition
No DS winners / loosers
Rol of more stable variables
Judo-I
14 judokas varones
Palmarés Índice éxito
Agresividad Cuestionario para
Entrenadores
-10 Esfuerzo +45
1 semana -10 Competición +45
Físico
Hormonas en Hormonas en
sangre
sangre
•T: ↑ tras esfuerzo físico; ↓ tras competición
•No diferencias en función del resultado,
resultado a los 45 min.
•Cambios % T correlacionan con palmarés deportivo y con
agresividad evaluada por entrenadores
• Cambios %T & estilo ofensivo, ‘picarse’, parecer enfadado, ser
un judoka violento (evaluados por entrenadores)
Do status affects?
Judo-II
Status 24 judokas varones
10 a.m. 12 a.m.
Spanish team
Testosterone
ST: no changes Winners ↑
Winners ↓ VT:
VT decreases
Status categories
High / Low
Low winners ≈ loosers
High winners T↑
Conclusions
Variables other than outcome do affect
more stable (sport history, ranking)
Whose effects depend on physical
effort?
Needed behavioral assessment ≠ self
reports
Controlling for physical effort
14 ganadores
14 perdedores
Controlar el esfuerzo físico
Judo-III Patrón respuesta hormonal
28 judokas Relevancia del resultado
Valorar conducta
Testosterona Cortisol
(ng/ml) (µg/dl) (*)
8.5 17
(*)
7.5 Combate
15
Ergometría
6.5 Control 13
5.5 11
4.5 9
3.5 7
Pre Post Pre Post
Pre-competición Pre-competición
N. s. resultado Ganadores > Perdedores
Asociada a motivación Asociada a autoeficacia
variables cognitivas respuesta hormonal
Resultados: hormonas en sangre
Prolactina
(ng/ml) (*)
21.5
Combate 19.5
Ergometría 17.5
Control
11.5
7.5
5.5
Pre Post
Mayor R a competición
Ganadores ≈ Perdedores
Resultados: hormonas en saliva
Testosterona Cortisol
Competición
No competición
240 22
20
220
18
200 16
Esfuerzo físio
Esfuerzo físio
14
Csal (nmol/l)
Tsal (pmol/l)
180
12
160 10
8
140
6
120 4
100 2
-10 +15 +45 +60 +90 -10 +15 +45 +60 +90
Determinaciones en sangre
saliva
Consecuencias del resultado de la competición
Relevancia del resultado
Competiciones oficiales
FIGH TIN G
DO M IN A TIO N
ATTACK
COUN TERATTACK
DEFEN SE
STOP
O BSERVA TIO N
THREAT
STANDS ERECT
WITHOUT MOVING,
LOOKING HARD AT
OPPONENT
EXTENDS, OPEN OR
LIFT ARMS
RUNS INTO THE
OPPONENT
SHOUTS
FIGHTING
BOTH ARE STRUGGLING FOR AN ADVANTAGEOUS
GRASP BUT NEITHER IS DOMINANT
DOMINATION
GRASPS OPPONENT AND STANDS MORE
ERECT, KEEPING ADVERSARY DOWN
GRASPS ADVERSARY FIRMLY
MOVES THE
DOMINATION
OPPONENT PUSHING
OR PULLING
VIGOROUSLY
GRASPS
ADVERSARY
FIRMLY
ATTACK (standing up)
TRIES TO THROW THE OPPONENT
ATTACK (on the ground)
TRIES TO IMMOBILIZE
TRIES TO STRANGLE
ATTACK (on the ground)
TRIES TO APPLY AN ARM-LOCK
COUNTERATTACK
ON THE GROUND:
MOVES TO AN
STANDING UP: WHEN
ATTACKED APPLIES A OFFENSIVE FROM A
COUNTER-TECHNIQUE DEFENSIVE POSITION
DEFENSE
STAYS DOMINATED BY THE OPPONENT, WHILE
TAKES A DEFENSIVE POSITION
DEFENSE
TRIES TO AVOID OR SIMULATES AN ATTACK
BLOCH THE OTHER’S WITHOUT REALLY
ATTACK TRYING TO THROW THE
OPPONENT
STOP
THE REFEREE HALTS THE COMBAT FOR TECHNICAL
REASONS
OBSERVATION
OBSERVES ADVERSARY
FROM A DISTANCE
Post-combat C &+ :
Pre-combat T &+ : DOMINATION
THREATS (#) C Response &+:
FIGHTINGS (#) FIGHTS (#)
ATTACKS (# AND Duration) ATTACKS (#)
Post-combat T &+ :
FIGHTINGS (#)
ATTACKS (# and Duration)
Results (II): hormone correlations
T levels
Pre-combat &+ post-combat (r=.93; p<.001)
Pre (r=.48;p<.01) and post-combat
(r=0.39;p<.05) &+ C changes
C levels:
Pre-combat &+ post-combat (r=.79; p<.001)
Pre-combat &- C changes (r=-.71;p<.001)
Resultados
Niveles de T &+
frecuencia de lucha
Nº ataques
Conducta ofensiva
T previa &+
R. Anticipatoria
Frecuencia de amenaza, & agresión
lucha y ataque
Duración ataques
Cortisol &+
Frecuencia lucha y
& esfuerzo
ataque
Discussion (I)
No significant differences winners-losers
T &+ # of fights: active participation and
persistence. No ‘give up’
T &+ # of attacks: anticipatory T raise
greater in judoists prone to vigorous fighting
T (levels and changes) &+ involvement and
anger, assessed by coaches
Discussion (II)
T reactivity & expression of aggressivity
(stable characteristic of judoists)
C &+ # of fights and attacks: physical
exertion
No moderator role of C
Judo-IV
Competiciones oficiales
Cortisol
CORTISOL (µg/dl)
17
15
11
•Independiente de EF
9
(calentamiento) 7
Preparación al gasto energético
• Concurrente con ansiedad pre- Pre-competición
municaciones a Congresos
Efectos de la victoria y la derrota en
competición deportiva sobre variables
psicofisiológicas. Jornadas de Investigación en
Ciencias del Deporte, Badajoz, 1992.
Variables hormonales y psicológicas
involucradas en la respuesta anticipatoria a
la competición agresiva. IV Congreso de
Psicología de la Actividad Física y el Deporte.
Sevilla, 1993
Respuesta hormonal anticipatoria en
Publicaciones
Esfuerzo realizado y esfuerzo percibido
• [La]: indicador de solicitación glucolítica
• Relacionado con la percepción del esfuerzo (PE)
en esfuerzos físicos no competitivo
¿En competición?
Esfuerzo percibido &+ [Lamax] y cambios
[La]
1. Títulos académicos Efectos de la competición:
2. Actividad docente Conclusiones
3. Actividad investigadora
4. Otros méritos
Metodológicas:
INCONTROLABILITY
HELPLESSNESS
INDEPENDENCY BEHAVIOR / SÍMPTOMS
OUTCOMES
PASSIVITY
COGNITIVE &
EMOTIONAL
COPING
ANXIETY
PROBABILITY HOSTILITY
Reducing stress effects
Rising control perception
Enhancing predictability
Increasing relevant feedback
In official judo contests
There is a real challenge
Threat
Relative control
High uncertainty (unpredictability)
Fighters are getting something
Winning (several fights)
Status (classification for higher competition levels)
Saliva samples hormonal patterns
Conclusions
What have we learned?
On hormones and aggression
Testosterone
Rises before stressful events
More in competition than in physical stress
No differences winners / losers
Related with social (sports) status
Related to some aspects of aggressive behavior
Overt expression of aggressiveness
Ofensive style
Being considered aggressive by others
Cortisol
Rises before stressful events
More in competition than in physical stress
No differences winners / losers
Related with energy expenditure
Related to anxiety
Testosterone & cortisol
Different patterns
Facilitating vs debilitating?
Current study
Social stressor (no aggression but
challenge)
Age
T, C, memory, coping styles, anxiety,
expectations, cognitive interpretation
Scientifical questions
Hypothesis
Sumary
Conclusions