Multimodal Stress Responses During the TSST and friendly-TSST

König V, Burkhardt F, Abel L, Kurz M, Müller V, Richer R, Eskofier B, Shields GS, Rohleder N (2025)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Abstract of lecture

Publication year: 2025

Event location: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal Street | New Orleans, Louisiana US

Abstract

Background: While the physiological response to acute stress is well understood, other markers, such as facial expressions, have only recently gained greater attention.

Methods: Participants (N = 105; 59 women; mean age = 22.36 ± 3.52 years) underwent the TSST and the f-TSST on subsequent days. They provided multiple saliva samples, reported their stress states before and after the (f-)TSST using the Short Stress State Questionnaire in German (SSSQ-G), and were monitored for heart rate (HR) and facial expressions, the latter of which were extracted from video recordings based on facial muscle movements (Action Units, AUs).

Results: The TSST elicited greater cortisol and heart rate increases, as well as higher SSSQ-G scores than the f-TSST. SSSQ-G scale scores for Worry, Self-evaluation, and Confidence correlated with cortisol increases in the TSST, as did HR. We did not find evidence for the display of the common emotions during the manipulation. However, we did observe more friendly expressions in the f-TSST, as well as more AU04 (“brow lowerer”–associated with fear and anger) in men. Further, we found that AU06 (“cheek raiser”–associated with happiness and contempt) predicted greater sAA and cortisol increases, and lower SSSQ-G scores.

Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of multimodal stress assessment, as well as the complexity of observable emotions and their connection to the stress response.

Authors with CRIS profile

Veronika Ringgold Lehrstuhl für Gesundheitspsychologie Felicitas Burkhardt Lehrstuhl für Gesundheitspsychologie Luca Abel Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab Miriam Kurz Lehrstuhl für Gesundheitspsychologie Björn Eskofier Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab Nicolas Rohleder Lehrstuhl für Gesundheitspsychologie

Related research project(s)

Berührungslose Messung von Stress, seiner Determinanten und Konsequenzen (SFB 1483 EmpkinS D03) Empatho-Kinaesthetic Sensor Technology (SFB 1483 EmpkinS) July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2025

How to cite

APA:

König, V., Burkhardt, F., Abel, L., Kurz, M., Müller, V., Richer, R.,... Rohleder, N. (2025). Multimodal Stress Responses During the TSST and friendly-TSST. Paper presentation at 2025 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE), Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal Street | New Orleans, Louisiana, US.

MLA:

König, Veronika, et al. "Multimodal Stress Responses During the TSST and friendly-TSST." Presented at 2025 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (ISPNE), Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal Street | New Orleans, Louisiana 2025.

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