STRESS AND AFFILIATION - HOSPITAL ROOMMATE EFFECTS ON PREOPERATIVE ANXIETY AND SOCIAL-INTERACTION

Fifty-three preoperative men were studied who were assigned to a hospi tal roommate who varied in terms of the similarity of the roommate's h ealth problem and surgical status. The similarity of a roommate's part icular type of health problem to that of the patient exerted little de tectable influence. However, patients assigned to a preoperative roomm ate were more anxious compared with those assigned a postoperative or nonsurgical roommate. Affiliation was also significantly greater with fellow preoperative roommates compared with postoperative roommates. T he possibility that the obtained roommate effects on anxiety are media ted directly by affiliation is explored. Additional mechanisms and the oretical implications for basic research involving social comparison, stress, and affiliation relationships are discussed. Practical conside rations for hospital policy also are considered.