The Impact of Dogmatism on Physiological Reactivity to Stress

Rokeach hypothesized that dogmatism is the sum total of coping mechanisms that help a person deal with anxiety. Since his time, research methods in psychology have become more sophisticated, but to our knowledge no one has examined the relationship between dogmatism and anxiety using any kind of physiological measure of stress. In our study, 100 undergraduate participants were assessed using a number of psychometric tests including Altemeyer's scale of dogmatism, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). They were then subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) which is comprised of preparation for a speech, a speech, and a math task. Before, during the TSST, and in recovery, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were taken at specific intervals. We found that dogmatism was related to less reported depression (r = -.23, p < 0.02) and trait anxiety (r = -.22, p < .05), and more perceived social support (r = .21, p =