| dc.description.abstract | The present study examined the effects of cognitive appraisal on
heart rate recovery from a psychological stressor. Forty
introductory psychology students were randomly assigned to
either a threat or challenge condition. Both groups performed
the Stroop Colour-Word Conflict Task for one minute. Following
this, subjects in the challenge condition received positive
feedback concerning their performance and were encouraged to try
for an even better score. In contrast, emphasis in the threat
condition was on the difficulty of the task and the need to
increase their speed and concentration in order to achieve a
better score on their second try. The task was then performed
again for a three minute period. Heart rate was monitored
before, during, and after performance of the task. Results
showed that the threat group displayed higher cardiovascular
arousal during the task. However, contrary to expectations, the
threat group exhibited significantly faster heart rate recovery
than the challenge group. | |
