Social psychophysiology, social circumstances, and health

Health varies markedly with social circumstances, While we are still withou t a comprehensive account of the mechanisms which under-lie this variation, it is clear that psychological factors are involved and that key pathways may prove to be psychophysiological. Thus, social psychophysiological resea rch of the kind illustrated in this Special Issue is ideally placed to help unravel some of the mechanisms by which social circumstances impact on hea lth. Nevertheless, the success of this sort of social psychophysiological e nterprise most likely depends on reconceptualizing psychophysiological reac tivity as a situational, or psychological exposure, concept rather than as an individual difference concept. This shifts the research goal from one of identifying individuals at risk for disease to identifying the psychologic al exposures that put individuals and groups at risk.