Studies // Cited work
Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research
Dickerson, S. S., & Kemeny, M. E. (2004). Acute stressors and cortisol responses: A theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research.
Level C Meta-analysis doi:10.1037/0033-2909.130.3.355
What this study supports
Supports the claims that psychological stressors raised cortisol on average, with wide variation, and that uncontrollable tasks with social-evaluative threat produced the largest responses and longest recovery. Pooled effects are largely pre-to-post changes within laboratory tasks rather than randomised comparisons, so it is graded C.
- Who was studied
- 208 laboratory studies of acute psychological stressors and cortisol responses.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Level of evidence
- Longitudinal and repeated-measures studies without random assignment.
Claims that rest on it
No claim in the ledger rests on this work yet.