Sweaty palms, fast heartbeats, fidgety fingers, all the feelings we despise.
It seems as though we can never get rid of stress no matter how hard we try. Have you ever considered that it can actually be helpful in some scenarios?
Not every decision, not every choice, and not every action will be pre-planned and well thought out. In fact, we make some of the most important and life-changing decisions while under stress.
The usual human tendency is to employ an optimism bias, meaning we are more likely to embrace positive information while neglecting negative information when making judgments.
We Process Bad News Better Under Stress
However, new research shows that starkly opposite patterns have been observed when individuals are stressed. Why is it that we can process bad news better under stress?
Basically, when we feel threatened, we become more alert to receiving information about hazards – which helps us process the bad news better.
The bad news we hear may be completely unrelated to the source of stress, however, we still become overall better at learning about warnings and comprehending the possibility of harm.
A study led by scientists Tali Sharot and Neil Garrett investigated the role of stress in processing bad news. It was a laboratory experiment in which half of the participants in the experimental group were told they had to deliver an impromptu public speech to a panel of judges, to cause stress levels to rise while the other half in the control group were told they simply had to perform a writing task.
Then, the task required participants to estimate the level of risk of different threatening events, like being a victim of domestic burglary or credit card fraud.
Researchers then revealed the real risk – either good or bad news based on how it compared to their answer. Then they were asked to give new estimates of what the risk level would be for them personally.
As hypothesized, participants that were relaxed (control group) underestimated the risk of some events as they internalized the good news better. On the contrary, stressed participants incorporated more of the bad news into their beliefs.
The reason
Researchers concluded that we are more ignorant to the threat of bad news when relaxed because it’s a waste to always stay on high alert when in a safer and calm environment.
So, this is why there needs to be a change in stimuli, provoking stress for our ability to comprehend the risk of certain things better.
Maybe this is why when we’re stressed, we start to spiral, thinking of all the worst-case scenarios, even if they’re completely unrelated to our current problem at hand.
But, this can be desirable sometimes because it helps us accept the reality of bad news better and be aware of the risks it poses.
So, do you think you’ll be better at making judgments under stress? Whether it be financial, professional, or personal, does the presence of a threat strive you to make better, well-informed decisions?
Scientifically, it does for all of us. Maybe, stress isn’t that bad after all.
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