Stress-induced cortisol secretion impairs detection performance in x-ray baggage screening for hidden weapons by screening novices.
Aviation security strongly depends on screeners' performance in the detection of threat objects in x-ray images of passenger bags. We examined for the first time the effects of stress and stress-induced cortisol increases on detection performance of hidden weapons in an x-ray baggage screening task. We randomly assigned 48 participants either to a stress or a nonstress group. The stress group was exposed to a standardized psychosocial stress test (TSST). Before and after stress/nonstress, participants had to detect threat objects in a computer-based object recognition test (X-ray ORT). We repeatedly measured salivary cortisol and X-ray ORT performance before and after stress/nonstress. Cortisol increases in reaction to psychosocial stress induction but not to nonstress independently impaired x-ray detection performance. Our results suggest that stress-induced cortisol increases at peak reactivity impair x-ray screening performance.
Biological and Health Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Livia
L
Thomas
Adrian
A
Schwaninger
Nadja
N
Heimgartner
Patrik
P
Hedinger
Franziska
F
Hofer
Ulrike
U
Ehlert
Petra H
PH
Wirtz
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012637:Security Measures; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D054041:Weapons; D055815:Young Adult
D006854:Hydrocortisone
Airport security; Cortisol; Detection performance; Human factors; Stress; TSST; X-ray ORT; X-ray baggage screening