Stress effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Assessments of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (cf. Table Post-hoc analyses indicated that Stress and No-Stress groups showed similar systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the baseline measurement prior to stress induction (Systolic blood pressure: T[46] = -0.547; P = 0.587, Diastolic blood pressure: T[45] = -0.941; P = 0.352). As expected the Stress group had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the stress induction as compared to the No-Stress group (Systolic blood pressure: T[46] = -5.124; P < 0.001, Diastolic blood pressure: T[45] = -4.802; P < 0.001). The Stress group showed a significantly higher systolic, but not diastolic, blood pressure after the SECPT as compared to the No-Stress group (Systolic blood pressure: T[46] = -2.077; P = 0.043, Diastolic blood pressure: T[45] = -1.308; P = 0.197), suggesting that there was a small after-effect of stress induction, that, however, as indicated by the diastolic blood pressure measure, was likely in a process of rapid decline. In line with the significant effects of the stress-treatment on physiological parameters, the Stress group also experienced the SECPT as being more difficult (Main effect of 