Back
Acute Stress Improves Concentration Performance.
Journal article

Acute Stress Improves Concentration Performance.

  • Degroote C Biological Work and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
  • Schwaninger A School of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Olten, Switzerland.
  • Heimgartner N Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
  • Hedinger P Clienia Littenheid AG, Private Hospital for Psychiatric and Psychotherapy, Littenheid, Switzerland.
  • Ehlert U Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Wirtz PH Biological Work and Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Show more…
  • 2020-07-31
Published in:
  • Experimental psychology. - 2020
Trier Social Stress Test
alpha-amylase
cognitive stress appraisal
concentration performance
cortisol
d2 Test of Attention
state anxiety
Adolescent
Adult
Attention
Humans
Male
Stress, Psychological
Young Adult
English Acute stress can have both detrimental and beneficial effects on cognitive processing, but effects on concentration performance remain unclear. Here, we investigate the effects of acute psychosocial stress on concentration performance and possible underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms. The study sample comprised 47 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned either to a psychosocial stress situation (Trier Social Stress Test) or a neutral control task. Concentration performance was assessed using the d2 Test of Attention before and 30 min after the stress or control task. Salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase were repeatedly measured before and up to 1 hr after stress. We repeatedly assessed state anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal using the Primary Appraisal Secondary Appraisal questionnaire. The stress group showed a significantly stronger improvement of concentration performance compared to the control group (p = .042). Concentration performance improvement was predicted by increased state anxiety (p = .020) and lower cortisol (stress) changes (p = .043). Neither changes in alpha-amylase nor cognitive stress appraisal did relate to concentration performance. Our results show improved concentration performance after acute psychosocial stress induction that was predicted by higher state anxiety increases and lower cortisol increases. This points to a potential modulating role of specific psycho-emotional and physiological factors with opposite effects.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/71967
Statistics
Document views: 38 File downloads: