Miller Melissa, Divine Madeline, McAfee Ciara, Brown Robin, Sears Shelby, Krautkramer Cole, Gogia Rhea, Josephs Robert A, Champagne Frances A
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2025 Feb;172:107267. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107267. Epub 2024 Dec 21.
The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a strategy for inducing acute psychological stress and increases in glucocorticoid levels. Here we describe the methodology and implementation of a Semi-Virtual Trier Social Stress Test (SV-TSST) which combines the control of a laboratory environment with reduced need for in-person logistical support and enhanced social distancing without the need for specialized equipment. During the SV-TSST, the participant is guided through the baseline, anticipatory, challenge, and recovery phases of the test by an in-person experimenter. Confederate judges involved in the challenge phase of the protocol connect with the participant via live video teleconference. Fifty-five healthy male and female participants aged 18-25 completed measures of self-report stress and provided saliva samples for cortisol assay throughout the SV-TSST session. The SV-TSST protocol was found to induce a significant acute increase in subjective psychological stress and salivary cortisol, with elevated psychological stress in SV-TSST female compared to male participants. Results indicate that the SV-TSST can be implemented as protocol for acute stress induction in a within-subject design that can serve as an alternative to classic, virtual, and virtual reality adaptations of this methodology.
特里尔社会应激测试（TSST）是一种诱导急性心理应激和提高糖皮质激素水平的方法。在此，我们描述一种半虚拟特里尔社会应激测试（SV-TSST）的方法和实施过程，该测试将实验室环境的控制与减少面对面后勤支持的需求以及增强社交距离相结合，且无需专门设备。在SV-TSST期间，参与者由一名现场实验者引导完成测试的基线、预期、挑战和恢复阶段。参与该方案挑战阶段的同盟评判员通过实时视频电话会议与参与者联系。55名年龄在18至25岁之间的健康男性和女性参与者完成了自我报告应激测量，并在整个SV-TSST过程中提供唾液样本用于皮质醇检测。结果发现，SV-TSST方案可诱导主观心理应激和唾液皮质醇显著急性升高，与男性参与者相比，SV-TSST女性参与者的心理应激更高。结果表明，SV-TSST可作为一种在受试者内设计中诱导急性应激的方案实施，可作为该方法经典、虚拟和虚拟现实改编版本的替代方案。
