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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...
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...
Physiological Foundation of Stress01:24

Physiological Foundation of Stress

Stress triggers a coordinated physiological response involving the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This dual activation ensures that the body is prepared for both immediate and prolonged stress management. The process begins with the perception of a stressor. This initial phase activates the SNS, leading to the rapid release of adrenaline (epinephrine) from the adrenal glands.
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...
Stress and Mental Health01:30

Stress and Mental Health

Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

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

Acute stress selectively reduces reward sensitivity.

Lisa H Berghorst1, Ryan Bogdan, Michael J Frank

  • 1Department of Psychology, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA ; Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital Belmont, MA, USA.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|April 19, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stress may reduce reward sensitivity, particularly in individuals highly reactive to stress. This suggests stress-induced anhedonia could link stress to affective disorders, but more research is needed.

Keywords:
affect-cognition interactionsanhedoniacortisoldepressionemotionpunishmentrewardstress

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Last Updated: May 12, 2026

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Published on: August 13, 2020

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

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Published on: May 4, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Stress is linked to psychopathology, potentially via disrupted reward processing.
  • The specificity of stress effects on reward versus general incentive processing remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether stress specifically impairs reward processing.
  • To compare reward and punishment sensitivity under stress and no-stress conditions.

Main Methods:

  • 100 healthy females completed a probabilistic stimulus selection task (PSST) under stress (threat-of-shock) or no-stress conditions.
  • Cortisol levels and self-reported affect were measured.
  • Task performance (reward-driven Go vs. punishment-driven NoGo learning) was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • No significant group differences in overall task performance or cortisol reactivity were found.
  • Stress-reactive individuals with high cortisol and negative affect showed reduced reward sensitivity compared to controls.
  • These deficits were specific to reward processing, not punishment processing.

Conclusions:

  • Stress-reactive individuals exhibit diminished reward sensitivity under stress.
  • Stress-induced anhedonia may be a mechanism linking stress to affective disorders.
  • Further research is required to confirm these preliminary findings.