Subjective stress and proactive and reactive cognitive control strategies.

Abstract

Acute stress likely impacts cognitive control. Little is known, however, about the effects that acute stress may have on specific cognitive control strategies. The goal of this research was to investigate the effects of acute stress on proactive and reactive control strategies. Participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test or control tasks. Use of proactive and reactive control strategies was measured with the AX-Continuous Performance Test. The Trier Social Stress Test was effective at producing subjective, cortisol, and heart rate stress responses, but there was no significant effect of stress on use of proactive or reactive control strategies in between-group analyses. However, higher subjective stress responses during performance of the AX-Continuous Performance Test were associated with less frequent use of a proactive control strategy and more frequent use of a reactive control strategy within the stress group.