The role of stress mindset in shaping cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses to challenging and threatening stress.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized 2x2 factorial laboratory experiment (graded by design analogy for experimental psychology).
PubMed 28120622 · doi:10.1080/10615806.2016.1275585
What was done
Researchers tested whether general beliefs about stress alter responses independently of situation-specific appraisals using a 2 x 2 experimental design in 113 participants. Stress mindset was manipulated via multimedia film clips depicting stress as either enhancing or debilitating. Participants then underwent a laboratory social stress test with positive or negative feedback to induce challenge or threat evaluations, while cognitive flexibility, attentional bias, affect, and anabolic hormone responses were assessed.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative values, effect sizes, or specific hormone names. Directionally, a stress-is-enhancing mindset led to sharper increases in anabolic hormones compared to a debilitating mindset under both threat and challenge conditions. When stress was evaluated as a challenge, the enhancing mindset also produced greater increases in positive affect, attentional bias toward positive stimuli, and higher cognitive flexibility.
Why it matters
This demonstrates that brief educational interventions targeting general beliefs about stress can modulate acute physiological and psychological stress responses, beyond the effects of situation-specific cognitive appraisals.
Limits
The abstract reports no exact numerical data, confidence intervals, or p-values. The sample is relatively small (N = 113), the laboratory social stress model may not reflect chronic real-world stressors, and the durability of the brief film clip manipulation was not assessed.
Cited by
- supports Research from Alia Crum's laboratory demonstrates that stress can be adaptive and can improve performance and outcomes.