Behavioral patterns in avoidance schedules with humans and their effects on salivary cortisol

Abstract

The variations on parameters of control and predictibility in avoidance schedules with humans, with the objective to obtain stress responses have had few researches. The goal of this study was to identify patterns of response under different contingencies of control and predictability and to evaluate the effect on levels of salivary cortisol. The subjects were 16 male universitary students between 18 and 28 years assigned randomly to three groups: Group A with controlable and predictable contingencies of noise presentation, Group B with controlable and impredictable and finally Group C with an uncontrolable and impredictable contingencies. The results showed differences on avoidance responses between groups. The subjects of Group A did not show effective responses on first session. In Group B, all the subjects learned to avoid the noise since first session. And in Group C, some subjects showed high rates of responses. The levels of cortisol fall down on groups with controlability conditions on experimental phases, in comparison with baseline, with low levels on the group with impredictable conditions, but in the group with unavoidable noise the levels rise up.