Author(s): Arianna Nelson, Natalia Rubio, Kennedy Albee, Adam Arnett, Camille Bruner, James Pemberton
Mentor(s): Kristina Oldroyd
Institution UVU
Performing novel tasks is frequently stressful. Tasks may be especially stressful if they involve cognitive or physical challenges, such as learning new material, time pressure, or the possibility of failure. Stress experienced during such tasks may negatively affect emotional states, leading to anxiety, anger, or unhappiness, and typically include autonomic nervous system responses in the form of accelerated heart rate and increased skin conductance. Affective, cognitive, and motivational dimensions of stress can be assessed using the Dundee State Stress Questionnaire (DSSQ), which encompasses three subscales: Task Engagement (energy, concentration, motivation), Distress (tension, negative affect, confidence), and Worry (self-focus, self-esteem, cognitive interference). This study examines the extent to which self-reported stress, assessed via the DSSQ, mediates the relation between self-reported emotional arousal (e.g., anger, frustration, happiness, satisfaction) and physiological arousal across tasks of varying stress levels (e.g., a meditation task vs. a dance performance task). Following appropriate consent procedures, 50 participants were connected to psychophysiological data monitoring equipment to measure participant heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance levels (SCL). Baseline activities for each measurement were recorded before participants engaged in the experimental protocol. First, participants engaged in a five-minute guided meditation session. Following this low-stress task, participants were taught 16 measures of a novel dance routine via video demonstration (medium stress task). Participants then performed the dance independently with music (High stress task). After each epoch, participants completed a self-report measure of emotional arousal. After completing the protocol, participants filled out questionnaires, including the DSSQ. It is expected that higher scores on the DSSQ would correlate with a stronger relation between self-reported emotional arousal and measured physiological arousal following both the low-stress meditation task and the high-stress dance performance task. This hypothesis aligns with previous research showing that self-reported stress, as measured by the DSSQ, can increase sensitivity to physiological cues such as heart rate and respiration rate. This study contributes to extant literature on the relation between psychophysiology and subjective emotional state, an important field of research that may help psychologists enhance performance, well-being, and resilience. For example, in high-stress occupations, interventions that address both physiological and psychological stress responses may be more effective than those focusing on only one aspect. Additionally, this study may improve assessments of emotional states, especially in contexts where individuals may struggle to fully understand or articulate their feelings.