Trait Anxiety Leads to "Better" Performance? A Study on Acute Stress and Uncertain Decision-Making

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Neuroscience
• Behavioral economics

Background:

• Individuals navigate uncertain environments by balancing potential rewards against risks.
• The impact of acute stress and anxiety on decision-making under ambiguity and risk remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how acute stress affects sensitivity to immediate versus delayed rewards.
• To examine the influence of acute stress on risk management strategies.
• To determine the moderating role of anxiety in these stress-induced decision-making changes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a laboratory acute stress induction paradigm involving the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test and Sing-a-Song Stress Test.
• Analyzed decision-making in ambiguous and risky contexts in male participants.
• Employed moderating effect analysis to assess the impact of trait anxiety.

Main Results:

• Successfully induced acute stress, leading to a decreased selection of long-term reward options and impaired risk-adjustment ability.
• Observed that acute stress shifts focus from long-term to short-term rewards, fostering impulsivity and degrading risk management.
• Found that trait anxiety moderates the effect of stress on ambiguity decision-making, with high anxiety scores correlating with better performance.

Conclusions:

• Acute stress negatively impacts reward valuation and risk assessment capabilities.
• Trait anxiety can partially mitigate the detrimental effects of stress on decision-making under ambiguity.
• Findings highlight the complex interplay between stress, anxiety, and executive functions in uncertain environments.