Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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

Reason and Intuition

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...
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...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle01:27

Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle

Stress is a multifaceted response to events perceived as challenging or threatening, highlighting physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions. Physically, stress can lead to fatigue, sleep disruptions, and various health issues such as frequent colds, chest pains, and nausea. Emotionally, it can manifest as anxiety, depression, irritability, and anger triggered by both minor and major life events. Cognitively, it may result in difficulty in concentration, memory, and...
Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis01:37

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The contextual self: object ownership modulates neural encoding across peripersonal and extrapersonal spaces.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Spatial variability of soil organic carbon in native forest and agroforestry system in central Brazilian Amazonia.

Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia·2025
Same author

The day after binge: Electrophysiological correlates of attention and working memory processing the day after hazardous alcohol intake.

Drug and alcohol dependence·2025
Same author

Limb saving with regenerative medicine tactics - a case report.

Acta chirurgiae plasticae·2025
Same author

[Hip prostheses as a treatment for acetabular fractures in the elderly].

Acta ortopedica mexicana·2025
Same author

Vitamin application affects gas exchange, growth, and yield of soybean plants.

Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

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

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

Published on: May 4, 2020

Stress-induced changes in human decision-making are reversible.

J M Soares1, A Sampaio, L M Ferreira

  • 1Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.

Translational Psychiatry
|July 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Chronic stress shifts human decision-making towards habits, making choices insensitive to outcome value. These stress-induced brain changes are reversible after a stress-free period, restoring goal-directed behavior.

More Related Videos

Chronic Stress Shifts Effort-Related Choice Behavior in a Y-Maze Barrier Task in Mice
09:37

Chronic Stress Shifts Effort-Related Choice Behavior in a Y-Maze Barrier Task in Mice

Published on: August 13, 2020

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

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

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

Published on: May 4, 2020

Chronic Stress Shifts Effort-Related Choice Behavior in a Y-Maze Barrier Task in Mice
09:37

Chronic Stress Shifts Effort-Related Choice Behavior in a Y-Maze Barrier Task in Mice

Published on: August 13, 2020

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Decision-making requires flexible strategy use based on context.
  • Chronic stress impacts cognitive functions, including decision-making.
  • Corticostriatal networks are crucial for goal-directed and habitual actions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how chronic stress affects human decision-making strategies.
  • To explore the neural underpinnings of stress-induced behavioral changes using fMRI.
  • To determine the reversibility of stress-related structural and functional brain alterations.

Main Methods:

  • Instrumental behavioral task assessing decision-making strategies in stressed and control groups.
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze corticostriatal network activation.
  • Structural MRI to measure regional brain volumes.

Main Results:

  • Chronic stress biased decision-making towards habitual actions, reducing sensitivity to outcome value.
  • Stress led to imbalanced activation in decision-making networks, shifting from associative to sensorimotor circuits.
  • Structural changes included medial prefrontal cortex and caudate atrophy, and putamen volume increase.

Conclusions:

  • Chronic stress promotes habitual behavior by altering brain network function and structure.
  • These stress-induced neuroplastic changes are reversible, restoring goal-directed decision-making.
  • The findings highlight the dynamic interplay between stress, brain plasticity, and behavioral control.