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Related Concept Videos

Psychological Responses to Stress01:20

Psychological Responses to Stress

Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...
Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Reason and Intuition01:37

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The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory01:20

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Cognitive psychologist Richard Lazarus proposed the cognitive-mediational theory of emotions, which emphasizes how individuals' assessments of stressors significantly affect their experience of stress. According to Lazarus, the stress response is determined by a two-step appraisal process: primary appraisal and secondary appraisal. These cognitive appraisals help individuals evaluate the potential impact of a stressor and determine the adequacy of their coping resources.
Primary Appraisal:...
Coping Strategies: Problem Focused01:27

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Coping strategies are methods people use to manage, tolerate, or reduce the effects of stressors. These strategies involve both behavioral and psychological actions to handle stressful situations. One common approach is problem-focused coping, which aims to change or eliminate the source of stress rather than merely addressing its consequences. This method involves taking direct action to resolve the issue causing stress.
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Frustration occurs when people are obstructed or prevented from achieving a desired goal or fulfilling a perceived need. For example, when someone's input is ignored in a discussion, it can lead to feelings of frustration. Conflict, however, arises from opposing interests, goals, or actions. Conflicts can take various forms based on the nature of these opposing desires or goals.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
07:26

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Published on: May 4, 2020

Decision making under stress: a selective review.

Katrin Starcke1, Matthias Brand

  • 1Department of General Psychology: Cognition, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Duisburg, Germany. katrin.starcke@uni-due.de

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|February 21, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stress significantly impacts decision-making, affecting both behavior and neural pathways. Whether this influence is beneficial or detrimental depends on the specific situation and individual factors.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Decision Science

Background:

  • Decision-making processes are frequently influenced by stress.
  • Stress impacts brain regions crucial for decision-making.
  • Understanding the stress-decision nexus is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review research on how stress affects human decision-making.
  • To synthesize findings from studies published between 1985 and 2011.
  • To explore psychological and neural mechanisms involved.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review of studies on decision-making under stress.
  • Inclusion of human studies with induced laboratory stress.
  • Analysis of studies on naturalistic stress and stress-related disorders.

Main Results:

  • Stress demonstrably alters decision-making performance.
  • The effect of stress (advantageous or disadvantageous) is context-dependent.
  • Mediating and moderating variables play a significant role.

Conclusions:

  • Stress has a complex effect on decision-making.
  • Task specificity and individual differences determine stress impact.
  • Further research is needed on underlying mechanisms and real-world implications.