Acute stress impairs reward learning in men.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Acute stress is common and can affect cognitive functions.
• Understanding stress's impact on learning from choices is crucial for mental wellbeing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how acute stress influences reward and punishment learning in men.
• To explore the underlying computational mechanisms of stress-induced learning impairments.

Main Methods:

• A reinforcement-learning task was administered to 62 male participants under both stress and control conditions.
• Computational modeling, specifically a reinforcement-learning model, was used to analyze trial-by-trial choices.

Main Results:

• Acute stress significantly impaired choice performance related to monetary gains, but not losses.
• Reinforcement-learning model analysis revealed slower learning from positive prediction errors under stress.

Conclusions:

• Acute stress disrupts reward learning, likely through mechanisms involving dopamine.
• This finding provides insight into how stress impacts decision-making and adaptation to positive experiences.