Table 1.
Means and standard errors of the mean for affective responses and memory performance before and after task performance across sex and groups
| Variable | Cortisol nonresponder group |
Control group |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-stress | Post-stress | Pre-stress | Post-stress | |
| Men | ||||
| Positive affect | 33.0 ± 3.6 | 35.6 ± 1.4 | 31.0 ± 2.1 | 27.9 ± 1.6 |
| Negative affect | 18.6 ± 2.4 | 25.6 ± 3.4 | 13.9 ± 1.1 | 14.3 ± 1.5 |
| Neutral free recall | 14.4 ± 4.5 | 10.6 ± 2.5 | 14.9 ± 2.1 | 15.0 ± 2.1 |
| Unpleasant free recall | 24.2 ± 5.4 | 23.6 ± 5.5 | 28.3 ± 2.3 | 24.6 ± 2.3 |
| Women | ||||
| Positive affect | 32.4 ± 2.3 | 28.9 ± 2.5 | 35.5 ± 1.9 | 33.2 ± 2.7 |
| Negative affect | 14.3 ± 1.2 | 27.2 ± 3.4 | 13.6 ± 1.2 | 13.5 ± 1.6 |
| Neutral free recall | 20.2 ± 0.9 | 20.4 ± 1.1 | 17.8 ± 2.3 | 13.7 ± 1.8 |
| Unpleasant free recall | 33.7 ± 0.7 | 33.3 ± 0.9 | 29.5 ± 2.6 | 27.6 ± 3.3 |
| Cortisol responder group |
||||
| Pre-stress | Post-stress | |||
| Positive affect | 27.8 ± 1.5 | 26.8 ± 4.2 | – | – |
| Negative affect | 13.3 ± 1.0 | 22.0 ± 2.8 | – | – |
| Neutral free recall | 12.0 ± 0.8 | 8.8 ± 1.4 | – | – |
| Unpleasant free recall | 28.5 ± 2.5 | 21.3 ± 2.0 | – | – |
Positive and negative affect indicates scores on the PANAS during the pre- and post-task periods. Neutral and unpleasant free recall are shown for immediate (pre-stress) and delayed (post-stress) time points.