Duan Haijun, Wang Xuewei, Wang Zijuan, Xue Wenlong, Kan Yuecui, Hu Weiping, Zhang Fengqing
MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Jinyuan International School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Front Psychol. 2019 Aug 8;10:1517. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01517. eCollection 2019.
This study examined the cognitive mechanism underlying acute stress in creative cognition among individuals with high and low trait anxiety. Specifically, cognitive inhibition was assessed using the flanker task during acute stress. Fifty-two participants (26 with high trait anxiety, 26 with low trait anxiety, with a mean age of 18.94 years) underwent stress induction the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). They all completed the Alternative Uses Test (AUT) and the Remote Associates Test (RAT) before and after the TSST. Biochemical markers (salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase) were recorded at regular intervals. The results showed that cognitive inhibition was influenced by trait anxiety and acute stress. In low-trait anxious individuals after experiencing acute stress, there was a lack of cognitive inhibition and they performed better in AUT (fluency), compared to before experiencing acute stress, whereas high-trait anxious individuals showed a decreased interference effect and reduced performance in AUT (fluency, flexibility, and originality). In the RAT, there were shorter response times and increased accuracy after acute stress in both high- and low-trait anxiety groups. Thus, we suggest that cognitive control, which modulates changes in acute stress, influences creative cognition. These findings provide evidence that inhibition control mediates the effect of stress on the creativity of individuals with different trait anxiety.
本研究考察了特质焦虑水平高和低的个体在创造性认知中急性应激的认知机制。具体而言，在急性应激期间使用侧翼任务评估认知抑制。52名参与者（26名特质焦虑水平高，26名特质焦虑水平低，平均年龄18.94岁）接受了应激诱导——特里尔社会应激测试（TSST）。他们在TSST前后均完成了备用用途测试（AUT）和远程联想测试（RAT）。定期记录生化指标（唾液皮质醇和唾液α淀粉酶）。结果表明，认知抑制受特质焦虑和急性应激的影响。在经历急性应激后，低特质焦虑个体缺乏认知抑制，与经历急性应激前相比，他们在AUT（流畅性）方面表现更好，而高特质焦虑个体表现出干扰效应降低以及在AUT（流畅性、灵活性和独创性）方面表现下降。在RAT中，高特质焦虑组和低特质焦虑组在急性应激后反应时间均缩短且准确性提高。因此，我们认为调节急性应激变化的认知控制会影响创造性认知。这些发现提供了证据，表明抑制控制介导了应激对不同特质焦虑个体创造力的影响。
