Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory
Rationale/statement of the problem : Associations between stress levels in everyday life and controlled laboratory conditions remain a controversial topic. The aim of the present study was to compare psychological and physiological stress levels assessed in a real-life setting with laboratory stress...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2012-09-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1818119680624164864 |
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| author | Nadine Skoluda Johanna Marie Doerr Urs Markus Nater Myriam V. Thoma Ulrike Ehlert |
| author_facet | Nadine Skoluda Johanna Marie Doerr Urs Markus Nater Myriam V. Thoma Ulrike Ehlert |
| author_sort | Nadine Skoluda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rationale/statement of the problem : Associations between stress levels in everyday life and controlled laboratory conditions remain a controversial topic. The aim of the present study was to compare psychological and physiological stress levels assessed in a real-life setting with laboratory stress levels. Methods : Thirty-five healthy male students (age M = 24.4, SD = 2.6 years) took part in the study. The first part of the study consisted of a 2-day period within which subjects collected saliva and rated their stress levels on a visual analogue scale immediately after awakening, 30min later, at 9am, and then every 2 hours for a total of nine times a day while maintaining their regular daily activities. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) was assessed as a marker for autonomic nervous system activity at each time point. In the second part, subjects were invited to two laboratory sessions on two separate days, with randomized exposure to either a standardized stress test (cold pressor test (CPT), stress condition) or a rest condition (reading magazines). Again, sAA and subjective stress were assessed repeatedly during both conditions. Results : During both days, sAA levels showed a distinct diurnal rhythm, with a trough in the morning and a steady increase over the course of the day (time effect, p<0.001). Self-reported stress levels significantly fluctuated over the course of the 2 days (time effect, p=0.022). In the laboratory part, the CPT resulted in significant increases in sAA and in self-reported stress levels (time effect, p=0.004; interaction effect, p=0.001). Regression analyses revealed that overall sAA levels in everyday life predicted sAA levels in both laboratory conditions (p < 0.01). The same held true for subjective stress levels (p<0.001). It was also found that overall subjective stress levels in everyday life predicted the psychological laboratory stress response (p=0.024). Furthermore, a trend was found for the sAA awakening response predicting overall sAA in the stress condition (p=0.067). Conclusions : Stress levels in everyday life were shown to predict psychological as well as physiological stress levels in the laboratory. Furthermore, subjects with high stress levels in everyday life experienced a more pronounced psychological stress response to a laboratory stressor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:14:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-476436c5ea7b4776bd222aa1e358dd77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:14:03Z |
| publishDate | 2012-09-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-476436c5ea7b4776bd222aa1e358dd772022-12-22T01:19:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662012-09-01301110.3402/ejpt.v3i0.19356Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratoryNadine SkoludaJohanna Marie DoerrUrs Markus NaterMyriam V. ThomaUlrike EhlertRationale/statement of the problem : Associations between stress levels in everyday life and controlled laboratory conditions remain a controversial topic. The aim of the present study was to compare psychological and physiological stress levels assessed in a real-life setting with laboratory stress levels. Methods : Thirty-five healthy male students (age M = 24.4, SD = 2.6 years) took part in the study. The first part of the study consisted of a 2-day period within which subjects collected saliva and rated their stress levels on a visual analogue scale immediately after awakening, 30min later, at 9am, and then every 2 hours for a total of nine times a day while maintaining their regular daily activities. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) was assessed as a marker for autonomic nervous system activity at each time point. In the second part, subjects were invited to two laboratory sessions on two separate days, with randomized exposure to either a standardized stress test (cold pressor test (CPT), stress condition) or a rest condition (reading magazines). Again, sAA and subjective stress were assessed repeatedly during both conditions. Results : During both days, sAA levels showed a distinct diurnal rhythm, with a trough in the morning and a steady increase over the course of the day (time effect, p<0.001). Self-reported stress levels significantly fluctuated over the course of the 2 days (time effect, p=0.022). In the laboratory part, the CPT resulted in significant increases in sAA and in self-reported stress levels (time effect, p=0.004; interaction effect, p=0.001). Regression analyses revealed that overall sAA levels in everyday life predicted sAA levels in both laboratory conditions (p < 0.01). The same held true for subjective stress levels (p<0.001). It was also found that overall subjective stress levels in everyday life predicted the psychological laboratory stress response (p=0.024). Furthermore, a trend was found for the sAA awakening response predicting overall sAA in the stress condition (p=0.067). Conclusions : Stress levels in everyday life were shown to predict psychological as well as physiological stress levels in the laboratory. Furthermore, subjects with high stress levels in everyday life experienced a more pronounced psychological stress response to a laboratory stressor.cold pressor testalpha-amylasestress responsedaily stressautonomic activity |
| spellingShingle | Nadine Skoluda Johanna Marie Doerr Urs Markus Nater Myriam V. Thoma Ulrike Ehlert Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory European Journal of Psychotraumatology cold pressor test alpha-amylase stress response daily stress autonomic activity |
| title | Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory |
| title_full | Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory |
| title_fullStr | Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory |
| title_short | Psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory |
| title_sort | psychological stress levels and autonomic activity in everyday life are related to stress responses in the laboratory |
| topic | cold pressor test alpha-amylase stress response daily stress autonomic activity |
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