Trait Anxiety Leads to “Better” Performance? A Study on Acute Stress and Uncertain Decision-Making

In uncertain situations, individuals seek to maximize rewards while managing risks. Yet, the effects of acute stress and anxiety on decision-making in ambiguous and risky contexts are unclear. This study aims to contribute to the exploration of how acute stress influences sensitivity to immediate vs. delayed rewards, risk management strategies, and the role of anxiety in these processes. This study used the laboratory acute stress induction paradigm to analyze the direction of influence of acute stress on ambiguity decision-making and risky decision-making in males and then used moderating effect analysis to study the impact of anxiety on this process. The results show that a combination of the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test and the Sing-a-Song Stress Test can successfully induce acute stress, which reduces both the proportion of the options selected that represent long-term rewards and risk-adjustment ability. Additionally, trait anxiety had a moderating effect on the influence of stress on ambiguity decision-making. Acute stress reduces focus on long-term rewards while increasing focus on short-term rewards, leading to impulsivity and impaired risk-adjustment. Additionally, to some extent, high trait anxiety scores predict better performance in making decisions under ambiguity during stress.