Stress improves task processing efficiency in dual-tasks

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Christian Beste - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Ali Yildiz - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Tobias W. Meissner - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Oliver T. Wolf - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)

Abstract

Psychological stress has attracted much interest as a potential modulator of response control processes. However, especially in dual-task situations, the effect of psychological stress is less understood. In the current study we investigated these effects. "Thirty six" healthy young male participants were exposed to stress applying the socially evaluated cold pressor task (SECPT) or a control condition. Afterwards they participated in a psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm comprising two tasks (a "tone task" and a "letter task"). With the PRP task, four different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA) were realized separating the tone from the letter task. The results show that stress improves task processing efficiency in dual-tasks. Stressed participants showed a reduced PRP effect (i.e., shorter response times), which was especially prominent in the short SOAs conditions (16 and 133. ms). The analysis of the response times suggests that stress increases dual-tasking performance by modulating the efficiency to process the different tasks and not because 'cognitive flexibility' and switching between task components at the bottleneck is altered. Increases in processing efficiency in dual-tasks were predictable by means of individual salivary cortisol levels.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)260-265
Number of pages6
JournalBehavioural brain research
Volume252
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2013
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 23769959
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/160952703

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Action selection, Dual task bottleneck, Psychological refractory period (PRP), Psychological stress