The Role of Stress Mindsets in Daily Stress Processes

Although there has been much focus on the negative aspects of stress, a burgeoning field of research has started to consider whether beliefs about the nature of stress might actually influence stress appraisals and responses. In this study, we designed and implemented a brief stress mindset manipulation to promote beliefs that there are positive benefits of stress on health, performance, growth/learning, social well-being and meaning in everyday life. We tested the effects of this manipulation on daily stress appraisals, behavioral outcomes of stress mindset, and affective reactivity to stress. One hundred and fourteen adults from the community were randomly selected to watch either a video that highlighted the enhancing aspects of stress (stress-is-enhancing condition) or a video that highlighted the debilitating aspects of stress (stress-is-debilitating condition). Participants also recorded their daily stress, affect, stress appraisals, and behaviors (i.e., general avoidance, general approach, prosocial, and social bonding) through online surveys each evening for two weeks. Results showed that, on a whole, our stress mindset manipulation did not impact daily stress appraisals, behavioral outcomes, or negative affective reactivity. However, we found some evidence that the stress-is-enhancing mindset video was helpful for those higher in neuroticism; these participants showed more general approach behaviors and social bonding behaviors. They also showed less negative affect on low stress daily stress as compared to those high in neuroticism in the stress-is-debilitating condition. This research highlighted possible areas in which a stress mindset manipulation could be effective and provided insight into ways in which the manipulation could be improved for the potential of a stronger impact.