Making decisions when stressed
By Margaret Rogers
It is a common assumption that when feeling stressed and anxious we tend to have negative thoughts and 
emotions. A recent article by researchers from the University of Southern California suggests that when under stress, people pay more attention to the possibilities of a positive outcome. However, they suggest that making a decision when stressed may not be a good idea.
The paper was co-written by Mara Mather and Nichole R. Lightall and is published in a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Mather says ‘It’s a bit surprising that stress makes people focus on the way things could go right. This is sort of not what people would think right off the bat. Stress is usually associated with negative experiences, so you’d think, maybe I’m going to be more focused on the negative outcomes.’
When people are under stress, even for a short while whilst being asked to make a public speech for example, they tend to turn their attention to positive information whilst ignoring the negative. Mather says ‘Stress seems to help people learn from positive feedback and impairs their learning from negative feedback.’
So this equates to holding off on big decision making when stressed. If you are, for example, considering a house move, and you are feeling stressed about it, you are more likely to focus on the beautiful garden at the new house rather than the not so good area in which it is located.
The researchers suggest that the increase in focus on the positives can also explain why stress has a part in addictions and also why people who are under pressure find it harder to control their urges.
Mather says ‘The compulsion to get that reward comes stronger and they’re less able to resist it.’ This can result in thoughts only of the good feelings you may get from a drug whilst ignoring the obvious downsides.
The way in which men and women react to stress is quite different. When a man is under pressure he becomes more likely to take a risk. When a woman is stressed she tends to consider risks with more concern, they also tend to attempt to make stronger bonds and to better their relationships. Men are more inclined towards the flight-or-fight reaction.
Mather concludes ‘We make all sorts of decisions under stress. If your kid has an accident and ends up in the hospital, that’s a very stressful situation and decisions need to be made quickly. It seems likely that how much stress you’re experiencing will affect the way you’re making the decision.’ Just being in a situation where you have to make an important decision can be very stressful and the stress is doubled when it is accompanied by a hospital situation for a family member.
