title: Influence of acute stress on decision outcomes and heuristics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to examine the take-the-first (TTF) heuristic and decision outcomes in sports under conditions of no, mental, and physical stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N.=68) performed 8 video decision-making trials under each of 3 stress conditions: no stress (counting backwards), mental stress (mental serial subtraction), and physical stress (running on treadmill at 13 RPE). Prior to each decision-making trial, participants were exposed to 30 seconds of stress. The decision-making task required participants to watch a video depicting an offensive situation in basketball and then decide what the player with the ball should do next.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found between the 3 stress conditions on TTF frequency, number of options generated, quality of first generated option, or final decision quality. However, participants performing under conditions of no stress and physical stress generated their first option and made their final decision faster than they did when making decisions under mental stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, results suggest that mental stress impairs decision speed and that TTF is an ecologically rationale heuristic in dynamic, time-pressured situations.
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Sport Science Department, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA - thepler@uwlax.edu.
authors.forename: Teri J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hepler
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Sport Science Department, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Attila J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kovacs
mesh_terms: D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D000066506:Heuristics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult