I am running an experiment and have a question about stress-inducing tasks. I come across two tasks:
a) the Stroop Colour Word Test (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3226226)
b) the Sing a Song stress test (http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2014.00224/full)
Ideally, we want two tasks, one inducing moderate stress, and another high level of stress.
Does anyone know any stress-inducing tasks we can use?
I've used the Trier social stress test in my lab before. You can make it easier for moderate stress, or it can be very stressful indeed (keep interrupting the participant, make them start over, etc.). There are numerous articles about it, too. Hope that helps.
This is a query from
Chee Siang Ang
Does stroop test really serve your purpose?
I mean if stroop test is capable of producing stress, then you can take any test which deals with attention or executive functioning, is''nt it?
I do not wish to discourage but i am thinking about the validity or appropriateness of the test/ tool so that you can raise the authenticity of your research.
Although currently i am not aware of any tool for stress induction,but i would like to inform you if i'll get to know.
Rehgards
Pooja Mahour
I would suggest using the so called Hamilton Letter transformation test.
You are presented with 3 letters, for instance H, D, E on a card marked +2, and is required to respond 2 steps upwards in the alphabet for each letter presented, i.e. a correct response would be JFG. But you may NOT respond until you can say "JFG" without a pause between the letters.
There are easier items in the test: SH + 1 --> TI.
The most difficult task that we used in a study was something like FBTL +4 --> JFXP.
The letter transformation test is obviously a test of working memory, and our test persons (18 yr) needed at least 40 seconds to manage this tough level. They experienced the test as generally very demanding. The researchers whom we borrowed the main procedure from were Hamilton, Hockey & Reyman (1977).
It takes a lot of effort to perform the Letter transformation test at the higher levels, because both the transformation procedure, and the keeping of preliminary results of the "alphabet arithmetics" in memory before responding engages most of the intellectual capacity of the test person. Note: our participants made the test during silence as well as in verbal distraction. Results were that stable extroverts performed significantly better than unstable ("neurotic") introverts.
Interesting: I myself would regard all kinds of speeded tests as somewhat "stressful". Even if I have been the constructor of a test requiring speeded responses I tend to enter a state of competition when taking it, even though I only take it in order to check functionality, and even if I don't compete with anyone but myself.
People who are not generally engaged in sports or being Type-B-persons may not really understand this phenomenon. The bottom line is that some people - often Type-A persons, and individuals scoring above the median on the N-scale of EPQ - may find any speeded test somewhat stressful.
So the main question is really difficult. My experience is that most people are almost always somewhat stressed during psychometric testing.
However, here is a suggestion if you want to increase the stress level: tell the test person after the first trial or item of the test and regardless of response that the average score is actually somewhat better!
Ethical?
Counter question: is it really ethical to continue using obsolete test procedures when there are more modern and humane procedures available?
Interesting to see the responses here about what others use. I run a clinical biofeedback lab where stress induction is an important component of our assessment and treatment protocols. These include PASAT which is a neuropsychological test but also produces nice autonomic response in response to demanding math task. In lieu of this, you could opt for working memory stress induction: for teens/adults we use "count backwards from 986 in '7's', as fast as you can!" - during task, lab assistant holds ticking stopwatch and makes them restart often following mistake or more than one second delay.
Note these types of stressors, at least in terms of psychophysiology, produce same sympathetic response as retelling a traumatic event. In the rare case where this does not produce sympathetic response (our assistant watches their galvanic skin response in real time on a monitor) we have patient stand up and read from a book entitled "Neurogenic Bladder Disorders", full of medical jargon and embarrassing topic produces very good performance anxiety. Note we always tell patient what stressor will be and obtain consent beforehand. I do like the Hamilton test described above, looks damn hard so maybe higher stress level could be obtained.
It depends a little on what you want to achieve but video inductions have been shown to be effective in eliciting differential affect. I used short videos to induce anxiety in participants in my study - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513816301660
I have used an analytical problem of making 3,4,5, 9, 14 squares out of 24 matchsticks. As the challenge keeps increasing, the stress keeps increasing.