Spouse support and stress: gender differences in neural measures of performance monitoring under observation of a spouse.

ABSTRACT: Spousal support can mitigate stress's impact on daily functioning and neural responses to stressors. However, the effectiveness of spousal support in reducing stress may be moderated by gender. The present study investigated the impact of observer presence in 66 heterosexual married couples, specifically a spouse or a confederate, on two neural indices of performance monitoring: early error detection [error-related negativity (ERN)] and later error awareness [error positivity (Pe)]. Contrary to predictions, ERN was consistently smaller in observed conditions, suggesting that being observed, irrespective of the observer's identity, diminished attention to errors. Notably, only women exhibited an enhanced ERN in the presence of their spouse, suggesting gender-specific differences in neural r

SUBMITTER: Clayson PE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12342920 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature