Does Social Buffering Continue to be Effective Over the Peripubertal Period When Friends Share the Stressor Experience?

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether social buffering by friends of stress physiology remains effective later in puberty when friends share the load versus when they provide support but are not undergoing the stressor with the target child. There are four conditions: (1) Friend and Target both undergo the stressor, (2) Friend provides support but does not undergo the stressor, (3) Unfamiliar Peer and Target undergo the stressor, and (4) Alone (no partner).

Detailed Description
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Adolescents experience social evaluation stress frequently. However, it is likely that often they are not alone, but with friends who are also going through the same experience. Thus, it is possible that under these conditions, social buffering by friends does not wane over the peripubertal period. Participants will be assigned to social conditions while engaging in an evaluative stressor task.

Official Title
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Does Social Buffering Continue to be Effective Over the Peripubertal Period When Friends Share the Stressor Experience?

Conditions
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Adolescent Behavior, Social Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Questionnaires
* Other: TSST


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: sufficient vision, hearing, and language skills to provide verbal and written assent ability to see and read stimuli presented on the computer screen ability to hear verbal instructions provided by the experimenter and judges Exclusion Criteria: premature birth (less than 37 weeks) congenital and/or chromosomal disorders (e.g. cerebral palsy, FAS, mental retardation, Turner Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Fragile X) Autism Spectrum Disorders history of serious medical illness (e.g., cancer, organ transplant) serious psychiatric illness systemic glucocorticoids or beta-adrenergic medication use

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 11 Years
Maximum Age: 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Friend and Target Both<br>There are four conditions: (1) Friend and Target both undergo the stressor, (2) Friend provides support but does not undergo the stressor, (3) Unfamiliar Peer and Target undergo the stressor, and (4) Alone (no partner). | Other: Questionnaires<br>* The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.<br>Other: TSST<br>* Participants will, via an online session, complete the TSST which is a standardized speech & math performance known to elicit a cortisol stress response.<br>* Other names: Trier Social Stress Test;|
| Experimental: Friend Provides Support<br>There are four conditions: (1) Friend and Target both undergo the stressor, (2) Friend provides support but does not undergo the stressor, (3) Unfamiliar Peer and Target undergo the stressor, and (4) Alone (no partner). | Other: Questionnaires<br>* The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.<br>Other: TSST<br>* Participants will, via an online session, complete the TSST which is a standardized speech & math performance known to elicit a cortisol stress response.<br>* Other names: Trier Social Stress Test;|
| Experimental: Unfamiliar Peer and Target<br>There are four conditions: (1) Friend and Target both undergo the stressor, (2) Friend provides support but does not undergo the stressor, (3) Unfamiliar Peer and Target undergo the stressor, and (4) Alone (no partner). | Other: Questionnaires<br>* The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.<br>Other: TSST<br>* Participants will, via an online session, complete the TSST which is a standardized speech & math performance known to elicit a cortisol stress response.<br>* Other names: Trier Social Stress Test;|
| Experimental: Alone<br>There are four conditions: (1) Friend and Target both undergo the stressor, (2) Friend provides support but does not undergo the stressor, (3) Unfamiliar Peer and Target undergo the stressor, and (4) Alone (no partner). | Other: Questionnaires<br>* The participant will complete questionnaires, including ones on pubertal development and quality of relations with parents and friends.<br>Other: TSST<br>* Participants will, via an online session, complete the TSST which is a standardized speech & math performance known to elicit a cortisol stress response.<br>* Other names: Trier Social Stress Test;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Cortisol AUCi | 8 samples will be taken during the course of the assessment. Area under the curve from initial (baseline) will be calculated and used in the analyses. | 2 hours | 
| Change in salivary Alpha Amylase, AUCi | salivary Alpha Amylase is used to index autonomic/sympathetic function. From 3 of the saliva samples already taken during the course of the assessment, alpha amylase will be determined by assay. Area under the curve will be calculated during periods of stress (social evaluation) and non-stress (no evaluation) during the course of the assessment. Outcome is reported as the difference between condition scores. | 2 hours | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self Report of Stress | The Self Report of Stress is an 8-item questionnaire assessing participant level of stress at various time points across the session. Items are rated on a 5 point Likert scale. Total score is the unweighted mean of item scores. Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater stress. The assessment will be administered at baseline (no stress) and during a period of stress. The outcome will be reported as the difference between the baseline period and experimental stress period. | 2 hours |