The impact of stress on financial decision-making varies as a function of depression and anxiety symptoms. Robinson, O. J., Bond, R. L., & Roiser, J. P. PeerJ, 3:e770, 2015. Place: United States
doi  abstract   bibtex   
Stress can precipitate the onset of mood and anxiety disorders. This may occur, at least in part, via a modulatory effect of stress on decision-making. Some individuals are, however, more resilient to the effects of stress than others. The mechanisms underlying such vulnerability differences are nevertheless unknown. In this study we attempted to begin quantifying individual differences in vulnerability by exploring the effect of experimentally induced stress on decision-making. The threat of unpredictable shock was used to induce stress in healthy volunteers (N = 47) using a within-subjects, within-session design, and its impact on a financial decision-making task (the Iowa Gambling Task) was assessed alongside anxious and depressive symptomatology. As expected, participants learned to select advantageous decks and avoid disadvantageous decks. Importantly, we found that stress provoked a pattern of harm-avoidant behaviour (decreased selection of disadvantageous decks) in individuals with low levels of trait anxiety. By contrast, individuals with high trait anxiety demonstrated the opposite pattern: stress-induced risk-seeking (increased selection of disadvantageous decks). These contrasting influences of stress depending on mood and anxiety symptoms might provide insight into vulnerability to common mental illness. In particular, we speculate that those who adopt a more harm-avoidant strategy may be better able to regulate their exposure to further environmental stress, reducing their susceptibility to mood and anxiety disorders.
@article{robinson_impact_2015-1,
	title = {The impact of stress on financial decision-making varies as a function of depression and anxiety symptoms.},
	volume = {3},
	copyright = {All rights reserved},
	issn = {2167-8359},
	doi = {10.7717/peerj.770},
	abstract = {Stress can precipitate the onset of mood and anxiety disorders. This may occur, at least in part, via a modulatory effect of stress on decision-making. Some  individuals are, however, more resilient to the effects of stress than others.  The mechanisms underlying such vulnerability differences are nevertheless  unknown. In this study we attempted to begin quantifying individual differences  in vulnerability by exploring the effect of experimentally induced stress on  decision-making. The threat of unpredictable shock was used to induce stress in  healthy volunteers (N = 47) using a within-subjects, within-session design, and  its impact on a financial decision-making task (the Iowa Gambling Task) was  assessed alongside anxious and depressive symptomatology. As expected,  participants learned to select advantageous decks and avoid disadvantageous  decks. Importantly, we found that stress provoked a pattern of harm-avoidant  behaviour (decreased selection of disadvantageous decks) in individuals with low  levels of trait anxiety. By contrast, individuals with high trait anxiety  demonstrated the opposite pattern: stress-induced risk-seeking (increased  selection of disadvantageous decks). These contrasting influences of stress  depending on mood and anxiety symptoms might provide insight into vulnerability  to common mental illness. In particular, we speculate that those who adopt a more  harm-avoidant strategy may be better able to regulate their exposure to further  environmental stress, reducing their susceptibility to mood and anxiety  disorders.},
	language = {eng},
	journal = {PeerJ},
	author = {Robinson, Oliver J. and Bond, Rebecca L. and Roiser, Jonathan P.},
	year = {2015},
	pmid = {25699215},
	pmcid = {PMC4330902},
	note = {Place: United States},
	keywords = {Anxiety, Depression, Harm-avoidance, Iowa Gambling Task, Resilience, Risk-seeking, Stress, Threat of shock, Vulnerablity},
	pages = {e770},
}

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