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Effects of acute stress on divergent and convergent problem-solving.
- Source :
-
Thinking & Reasoning . Feb2020, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p68-86. 19p. 1 Diagram, 1 Chart, 5 Graphs. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- This study examined the effects of acute stress on creative problem-solving. Thirty-five male participants underwent stress induction via the Trier Social Stress Test; another 35 male participants engaged in a comparable, but less stressful, control task. Subsequently, they all took the Alternative Uses Test (AUT) and the Remote Associates Test (RAT), both of which are standard creative problem-solving tasks. Heart rate (HR) and salivary cortisol were recorded at regular intervals. Compared to controls, stressed participants responded with higher HR and salivary cortisol and reported more negative affect. A comparison of the effects of acute stress on two forms of creative problem-solving tasks, convergent and divergent problem-solving, showed stress-related reductions in the flexibility of solving. These effects were manifested according to the nature of the tasks: in convergent solving, stress induced faster, but less accurate responding; in divergent solving, stress reduced the flexibility of solution production, resulting in less variety of solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *PROBLEM solving
*HEART beat
*PSYCHOLOGICAL stress testing
*HYDROCORTISONE
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13546783
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Thinking & Reasoning
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 141313315
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2019.1572539