Examination stress in academic students: a multimodal, real-time, real-life investigation of reported stress, social contact, blood pressure, and cortisol

• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1784906
• Publication Date: 2020-07-16T06:48:22Z
• Authors: Susanne Koudela-H...; Joshua Smyth; Philip Santangelo; Ulrich Ebner-Priemer
• Keywords: Dysphoria; Calmness; Locus of control

ObjectiveAcademic examinations are a frequent and significant source of student stress, but multimodal, psychophysiological studies still missing. Participants & methods: Psychological physiological variables were assessed on 154 undergraduate students in daily life using e-diaries resp. blood pressure devices at the beginning semester, again before an examination. Results: Multilevel analysis revealed lower calmness, more negative valence, higher task-related demands, perceived control, frequency social contact, desire to be alone during examination period (all p values < .0001), as well ambulatory systolic (p = .004), heightened cortisol awakening .021), smaller increase .012). Conclusions: Our study empirical evidence that periods not only associated with indicators dysphoria, withdrawal also by altered processes, which might reflect anticipatory stress effects.