Abstract
The present study examined the effects of a new frustration-provoking stressor, the Frustration Social Stressor for Adolescents (FSS-A), on psychological and physiological stress responses, compared to a well-established anxiety-provoking stressor, an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test for Teenagers (TSST-T) and a Low-Stress (LS) control. The sample included 146 adolescents from British Columbia and New Brunswick, Canada, aged 13 to 16. Results showed that the moderate-stress conditions (FSS-A, TSST-T) effected significant changes in cortisol levels compared to the LS condition, but only the TSST-T group presented a significant heart-rate change in comparison to the LS group. Increased cortisol arousal was associated with involuntary engagement strategies. Both moderate-stress conditions elicited more psychological and physiological stress responses than the LS control, especially more disengagement strategies, thereby further establishing the FSS-A as an effective protocol for exploring adolescent psychological and physiological stress. Theoretical implications are discussed and suggestions for psychoeducational interventions are given.
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Pollak, K.M., Shao, S., Knutson, J.M. et al. Adolescent psychological and physiological responses to frustration- and anxiety-provoking stressors. Curr Psychol 41, 395–405 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00582-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00582-6