Executive Functioning and Acute Stress Responses: The Role of Cognitive Appraisals, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Emotion Regulation.

Abstract

Exposure to stress can have significant negative consequences on long-term health. Among modifiable targets for promoting adaptive stress responses, executive functioning has emerged as a promising candidate. The current study sought to examine the extent to which executive functioning facets (inhibition, flexibility, updating) and working memory capacity played a beneficial role in reactivity and recovery to an acute stressor. Participants completed executive functioning tasks in the laboratory before undergoing either an acute stressor (Maastricht Acute Stress Test, MAST) or its control equivalent (placebo-MAST). Multilevel models were conducted to predict anticipation, reactivity, and recovery to the stressor. For anticipation, poorer flexibility was associated with higher anticipatory blood pressure and skin conductance levels after receiving MAST instructions. For reactivity, lower flexibility was related to greater skin conductance levels during the stressor period compared to baseline. For recovery, poorer flexibility was related to poorer stress recovery, as evidenced by increased systolic blood pressure, mean skin conductance levels, and stress levels after the resting period compared to baseline. We found no evidence for a significant mediational role of cognitive appraisals, repetitive negative thinking, or emotion regulation. Hence, the study findings identified flexibility as an important factor for the promotion of adaptive acute stress responses.