The Psychophysiological Salience of Past Experiences of Discrimination

Objectives: This study sought to test whether a discrimination recall task would elicit a significant parasympathetic response in multiracial undergraduate women. The study also investigated whether parasympathetic responsivity to the discrimination recall would be similar or different from that elicited by a widely used stress paradigm-the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and whether responses would differ for Black and White women. Method: Multiracial undergraduate women (n = 67; Mage = 19.4 years; 32% White, 22% Black) completed the TSST and a discrimination recall task. Parasympathetic activity was assessed using high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV). Results: Women exhibited significant HF-HRV responsivity to the discrimination recall and showed smaller average decreases in HF-HRV to the discrimination recall than the TSST. However, whereas White women exhibited decreased HF-HRV in response to both tasks, Black women showed increased HF-HRV for the discrimination recall but decreased HF-HRV for the TSST. Conclusions: Findings complement a growing body of research suggestive that experiences of discrimination are psychophysiologically salient. Additionally, discriminatory experiences may elicit distinctive patterns of HF-HRV responsivity compared to generic social stressors. Efforts to elucidate the unique role of discrimination-specific HF-HRV responsivity may be critical for delineating discrimination-health linkages. Public Significance Statement Findings suggest that a discrimination recall task elicits a significant psychophysiological stress response in multiracial women. A subset of women show distinctive patterns of psychophysiological responsivity to discrimination recalls compared to a generic social stress paradigm. A further investigation of the unique role of discrimination-specific psychophysiological responsivity may be critical for delineating discrimination-health linkages.