This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kulik, J. A. Articles by Mahler, H. I. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kulik, J. A. Articles by Mahler, H. I. M. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Stress and Affiliation in a Hospital Setting

Preoperative Roommate Preferences

University of California, San Diego

Heike I. M. Mahler

University of California, San Diego

This study examined stress and affiliation relationships in a natural setting by assessing the preoperative roommate preferences of 70 patients facing major (coronary bypass) surgery. No support was found for the notion, derived from social comparison theory, that novel, fear-inducing situations produce selective preferences for affiliation with others who are of similar emotional status (i.e., likewise facing threat). On the contrary, patients demonstrated a strong overall preference before surgery for a roommate who was postoperative (dissimilar emotional status) rather than preoperative (similar emotional status). The preference for a postoperative roommate held regardless of patient fear level and, with slight qualification, regardless of actual roommate assignment. Theoretical implications for social comparison formulations that have been applied to stress and affiliation research are discussed.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?