Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Changes in physiological stress and self-reported mood in younger and older adults after exposure to a stressful task
Katinka Dijkstra1, Neil Charness, Ryan Yordon
1Department of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, T13-39, 3062, PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. k.dijkstra@fsw.eur.nl
Abstract:
The objective of the current study was to compare the trajectories of physiological levels of stress and self-report measures of mood in younger and older adults and to examine how a stress induction would affect performance. The current study examined physiological and subjective indicators of stress and mood before, mid-way through, and after being exposed to a stressful computer task. Stress levels and negative affect increased after stress induction relative to levels before and after the stressful task. Practice on the task helped to improve performance (accuracy and reaction time) but high workload measured during the task mitigated accuracy in younger and older adults, whereas it enhanced response speed in younger adults.
Related Concept Videos
Psychological Responses to Stress
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Physiological Foundation of Stress
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...
General State of Stress
Specifically, consider a tetrahedral element where one face, labeled XYZ, is perpendicular to the line OA, and the remaining faces align with the coordinate axes with point O as the origin. At any point, such as point O, the stress tensor can be used to determine the stress...
Components of Stress
Interestingly, the hidden cube faces also experience these stresses, equal and opposite to those on the...

