title: Cardiac reactivity and preserved performance under stress: two sides of the same coin?
abstract: In the present experiment, cognitive control under stress was investigated using a real-life paradigm, namely an evaluation flight for military student pilots. The magnitude of cognitive interference on color-word, numerical and emotional Stroop paradigms was studied during a baseline recording and right before the test flight. Cardio-respiratory parameters were simultaneously assessed during rest and the performance of the Stroop tasks. Cognitive data suggested a different speed/accuracy trade-off under stress, and no modulation of the interference effect for color words or numerical stimuli. However, we observed a major increase in error rates for specific emotional stimuli related to the evaluation situation in the stress condition. The increase in cognitive interference from emotional stimuli, expressed as an increase in error rates, was correlated to the decreased cardiac reactivity to challenge in the stress situation. This relationship is discussed in the framework of Sanders' (1983) model of stress and performance. In terms of future research, this link warrants a fruitful lead to be followed for investigating the causal mechanism of performance decrements under the influence of stress.
authors.affiliation: VIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Renaissancelaan, 30, 1000 Brussel, Belgium; Dept of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan, 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium; Unité de Recherches en Neurosciences Cognitives, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 191, avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium; Department of Human Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium. Electronic address: nathalie.pattyn@rma.ac.be.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pattyn
authors.affiliation: VIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Renaissancelaan, 30, 1000 Brussel, Belgium; CHU Brugmann, Sleep Unit, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mairesse
authors.affiliation: VIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Renaissancelaan, 30, 1000 Brussel, Belgium; UZ Brussel, Sleep Unit, Belgium.
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortoos
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherches en Neurosciences Cognitives, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 191, avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Dept of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan, 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soetens
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roelands
authors.affiliation: VIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Renaissancelaan, 30, 1000 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van den Nest
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherches en Neurosciences Cognitives, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 191, avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: Régine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolinsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001359:Aviation; D003071:Cognition; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D057190:Stroop Test; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiac reactivity; Performance; Stress; Stroop