Effects of social stress on performance and strain in complex multiple task environments

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Occupational Health Psychology
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Ergonomics research has extensively studied stress, yet social stress and combined stressors remain under-explored.
• Understanding the impact of social stress is crucial given its prevalence in workplace environments.
• Limited experimental data exists on the specific effects of social stress on physiological and psychological outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of social stress on psychological and physiological strain and task performance.
• To explore the combined effects of social stress and moderate noise levels (80 dB) on participants.
• To analyze physiological markers (cortisol, heart rate) and subjective strain during a simulated work task.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-one male students participated in a 2-hour computer-based process control simulation.
• Experimental manipulation of social stress using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and noise exposure.
• Repeated measurements of primary/secondary task performance, subjective strain, cortisol levels, and heart rate.

Main Results:

• Social stress significantly increased physiological strain, evidenced by elevated cortisol levels and heart rate.
• No significant main effects of social stress were observed on subjective strain or task performance.
• Performance maintenance under social stress appears to occur at the expense of increased physiological arousal.

Conclusions:

• Social stress induces significant physiological strain (cortisol, heart rate) in a simulated work environment.
• Individuals may maintain task performance under social stress, masking underlying physiological costs.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications of sustained physiological strain due to social stress.