Cardiovascular Stress-Reactivity to Social Exclusion: Body Mass Index and Self-Concept Clarity as Plausible Moderators

Cardiovascular responses to social exclusion are typical, but large individual differences exist. Individuals high in body-mass index (BMI) or low in Self-Concept Clarity (SCC) may be more sensitive to social exclusion. We examined if BMI or SCC moderated cardiovascular responses to experimental social exclusion. Our analyses suggest that having high SCC may buffer cardiovascular reactivity to social exclusion; however, that individuals at higher BMI may be more sensitive to social exclusion regardless of SCC.