Glossary // Glossary term Theoretical
Social baseline theory
A theory proposing that the ecology to which humans are adapted is rich in other people, so that social proximity is the expected baseline and being alone requires more costly self-regulation of threat. In a frequently cited fMRI study, 16 married women facing the threat of electric shock showed attenuated threat-related activation while holding their husband's hand, less so while holding a stranger's hand, with larger attenuation in higher-quality marriages. The theory is influential, but the imaging evidence comes from small samples and replication is limited. Allostasis and allostatic load, the cognitive control of emotion, the stress-buffering effects of social support and the use of music for mood regulation explain what a night of collective movement does for the body, and what it cannot change. Perceived availability of support buffers the effects of stressful events, and sharing emotions strengthens relationships. Lasting support is built through ongoing relationships rather than single intense events. The works the definition rests on, with the level of evidence each was appraised at. (2011). Social baseline theory: The role of social proximity in emotion and economy of action. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00400.x Supports the description of social baseline theory: social proximity as the expected baseline that conserves regulatory resources. Theory by its originators; the supporting evidence is heterogeneous. (2006). Lending a hand: Social regulation of the neural response to threat. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01832.x Supports the claim that spousal hand-holding was associated with attenuated threat-related activation, more than a stranger's hand, and more so in higher-quality marriages. A small, homogeneous sample and a within-subject design; replication in larger samples is limited.Where the site uses it
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