Figure 2.

Overall effect of stress. Change in cortisol (A), α-amylase (B), VAMS rating (C), state anxiety (D), positive affect (E), and negative affect (F) throughout the session. Across all measures, there was a significant effect of time driven by stress induced increase in cortisol release and negative affect. Notably, cortisol levels and negative affect were still elevated 65 and 100 min after stress onset, respectively, reflecting a relatively prolonged acute stress induction. Participants were fully debriefed and their mood had returned to baseline before they left the laboratory. *p < 0.05.