scholarly journals Increased Exercise Effort after Artificially-Induced Stress: Laboratory-Based Evidence for the Catharsis Theory of Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (119) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
Attila Szabo ◽  
Eliza Tóth ◽  
Lili Kósa ◽  
Ádám Laki ◽  
Ferenc Ihász
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Cognitive Stress ◽  
Laboratory Design ◽  
Induced Stress ◽  
Behavioral Therapies ◽  
Word Task ◽  
New Research ◽  
Physical Challenges

Background. Evolution prepared humans to deal with physical challenges. Today, people encounter psychosocial stress more than physical stress. However, the physiological response to the contemporary forms of stress is still preserved as the biological evolution’s vestigial heritage. This laboratory investigation aimed to determine whether brief mental stress triggers greater innate (instinctual) effort to ‘let off steam’ than a non-challenging control condition. Method. Using a counterbalanced within-participants laboratory design, 29 young men walked/jogged at voluntary (self-paced) effort after two conditions: a) artificially-induced mental stress comprised by the Stroop Color-Word Task, which lasted for five minutes, and b) a control session, also lasting for five minutes, in which the participants watched a video depicting the world’s ten tallest buildings. Results. The increased arousal after mental stress was carried over into the walk or jog period, and participants worked harder, but they did not perceive exerting greater effort in contrast to the control condition. Conclusions. These results suggest that a ‘flight or fight’ response to psychosocial stress is manifested in the form of subliminal catharsis. While larger-scale studies with more impactful stressors are needed, these preliminary results support the catharsis theory. They might open new research avenues to provide people more physical opportunities for letting off steam before the necessity of treatment with chemical substances or other behavioral therapies. Keywords: cognitive stress, exercise, mental stress, flight or fight, physical activity, psychosocial stress.

Hostility Disturbs Learning

2003 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-622
Author(s):  
Yumi Shimojima ◽  
Takeo Tujii ◽  
Atsuo Yanagisawa ◽  
Kazuhiro Tajino ◽  
Hiroko Kanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Artery Disease ◽  
Coronary Artery ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Pathogenic Mechanisms ◽  
Vagal Control ◽  
Cardiac Vagal Control ◽  
Stress Task ◽  
Word Task ◽  
Artery Disease

Many studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between hostility and coronary artery disease; however, the pathogenic mechanisms by which hostility causes coronary artery disease have not been identified. Several studies have shown that hostility is associated with increased cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress. Sloan and colleagues used mental arithmetic and the Stroop Color-Word Task as psychological stressors and suggested that hostility is associated with diminished cardiac vagal control. It is supposed that the diminished cardiac vagal control results in uncontrollability of increased heart rate under stressful conditions so performance on mental stress tasks is poor. However, performance was not analyzed on the Stroop Color-Word Task. If hostility influences the autonomic nervous system, the performance of this mental stress task may also differ according to extent of hostility. In the present study, whether hostility disturbed performance of a mental stress task and the practice on it was examined. Subjects completed the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale and were divided into three groups (High, Middle, and Low) by their total scores and three subscales (Cynicism, Hostile Affect, and Aggressive Responding), They also completed the Stroop Color-Word Task. Analysis showed practice by High and Middle scoring groups on Aggressive Responding had a significantly smaller effect than that by Low scoring groups. The pathogenic mechanisms by which hostility may underlie coronary artery disease were discussed.

Do the processing speed index and working memory index of the WAIS-IV predict performance on the Stroop Color-Word task?

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Yassin ◽  
Kayla Spengler ◽  
Jared S. Link ◽  
Corrine Babika ◽  
Victoria Sterk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Processing Speed Index ◽  
Word Task

scholarly journals Correlating cognition and cortical excitability with pain in fibromyalgia: a case control study

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Kumar Tiwari ◽  
Srishti Nanda ◽  
Suvercha Arya ◽  
Uma Kumar ◽  
Ratna Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Corticomotor Excitability ◽  
Word Task ◽  
Control Study

Abstract Background Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal symptoms, primarily attributed to sensitization of somatosensory system carrying pain. Few reports have investigated the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms on cognition, corticomotor excitability, sleepiness, and the sleep quality — all of which can deteriorate the quality of life in fibromyalgia. However, the existing reports are underpowered and have conflicting directions of findings, limiting their generalizability. Therefore, the present study was designed to compare measures of cognition, corticomotor excitability, sleepiness, and sleep quality using standardized instruments in the recruited patients of fibromyalgia with pain-free controls. Methods Diagnosed cases of fibromyalgia were recruited from the Rheumatology department for the cross-sectional, case-control study. Cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination, Stroop color-word task), corticomotor excitability (Resting motor threshold, Motor evoked potential amplitude), daytime sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh sleep quality index) were studied according to the standard procedure. Results Thirty-four patients of fibromyalgia and 30 pain-free controls were recruited for the study. Patients of fibromyalgia showed decreased cognitive scores (p = 0.05), lowered accuracy in Stroop color-word task (for color: 0.02, for word: 0.01), and prolonged reaction time (< 0.01, < 0.01). Excessive daytime sleepiness in patients were found (< 0.01) and worsened sleep quality (< 0.01) were found. Parameters of corticomotor excitability were comparable between patients of fibromyalgia and pain-free controls. Conclusions Patients of fibromyalgia made more errors, had significantly increased reaction time for cognitive tasks, marked daytime sleepiness, and impaired quality of sleep. Future treatment strategies may include cognitive deficits and sleep disturbances as an integral part of fibromyalgia management.

Haemodynamic responses to psychosocial stress during the menstrual cycle

1991 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Manhem ◽  
Christina Jern ◽  
Martin Pilhall ◽  
Guy Shanks ◽  
Sverker Jern
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Systolic Blood Pressure ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Mental Stress ◽  
Luteal Phase ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Plasma Catecholamine Concentrations

1. The haemodynamic effects of hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle were examined in 11 normotensive women (age 20–46 years). The subjects were studied on days 2–8 (follicular phase) and days 18–26 (luteal phase) in a randomized order. A standardized mental stress test and a 24 h recording of ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were performed. 2. Pre-stress resting levels of heart rate and blood pressure were similar during the two phases of the menstrual cycle. 3. During mental stress, the heart rate response was significantly greater during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase (14.7 versus 9.7 beats/min; P < 0.05). 4. Blood pressure, plasma catecholamine concentrations and subjective stress experience increased significantly in response to stress, without any significant differences between the two phases. 5. During 24 h ambulatory monitoring, higher levels of systolic blood pressure and heart rate were observed in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase (P < 0.005 and P < 0.0001, respectively). 6. These data indicate that cyclic variations in female sex hormones not only affect systolic blood pressure and heart rate, but also alter the haemodynamic responses to psychosocial stress.

The Stroop Color‐Word task as a measure of selective attention: Efficiency in the elderly

1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli Vakil ◽  
Rachel Manovich ◽  
Esther Ramati ◽  
Haya Blachstein
Keyword(s):  
Selective Attention ◽  
Color Word ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Word Task

Is Weaker Inhibition Associated with Supernatural Beliefs?

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 231-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce M. Hood ◽  
Marjaana Lindeman ◽  
Tapani Riekki
Keyword(s):  
Color Word ◽  
Educational Status ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Word Task ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting ◽  
Supernatural Beliefs ◽  
Sorting Test

AbstractAdults identified as believers and sceptics based on self-reports from a supernatural beliefs scale were assessed on two measures of inhibition; the Stroop Color‐Word Task and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Both groups were of equal educational status and background. However, believers made significantly more errors than sceptics on all subscales of the WCST but were equivalent in performance on the Stroop measure. This finding is consistent with the idea that supernatural beliefs in adults are related to some types of inhibitory control.

Decision Outcomes in Sport: Influence of Type and Level of Stress

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Teri J. Hepler ◽  
Matt Andre
Keyword(s):  
Color Word ◽  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Physical Stress ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Decision Quality ◽  
Decision Outcomes ◽  
Word Task ◽  
Physical Level ◽  
Decision Speed ◽  
Moderate Stress

In two experiments, the authors investigated the influence of stress type (i.e., low/no stress, mental, and physical), level (i.e., low, moderate, and high), and Type × Level interaction on intuitive decision frequency, decision quality, and decision speed. Participants were exposed to mental (i.e., color word task, mental arithmetic) and/or physical stress (i.e., running) and then required to make decisions regarding videotaped offensive situations in basketball. Intuitive decision frequency, decision quality, and decision speed were measured for each trial. Study 1 used a between-subjects design whereby 20 participants were randomly assigned to each of the five stress conditions. Results revealed that moderate stress was associated with faster decisions. Study 2 replicated the design and aim of Study 1 using a within-subject methodology (n = 42). Results suggested that moderate stress levels produced better, faster decisions. In conclusion, moderate levels of stress were associated with the most desirable decision outcomes.

Effects of Predictable and Unpredictable Auditory Stimuli on Selective Attention

1993 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-162
Author(s):  
Derick M. Kiger
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
Normal Male ◽  
Normal Female ◽  
School Students ◽  
Repeated Measures Analysis ◽  
Word Task

6 normal male and 10 normal female high school students completed two versions of the Stroop Color-Word Task in the presence of predictable and unpredictable auditory stimuli. Selective attention was hypothesized to be facilitated by predictable auditory stimuli and unaffected or hindered by unpredictable auditory stimuli. A one-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance showed selective attention was facilitated significantly by the predictable auditory stimuli on a paced version of the Stroop Color-Word Task.

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