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Hormonal and psychological effects of examination stress
Author(s) -
VASSEND OLAV,
HALVORSEN RAGNHILD,
NORMAN NILS
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1987.tb00907.x
Subject(s) - blood pressure , anxiety , prolactin , psychology , psychological stress , hormone , physical examination , clinical psychology , physiology , medicine , psychiatry
Twelve undergraduate students were tested to determine the effects of examination stress on psychological and endocrine variables. Testing was undertaken six weeks prior to a final written examination (phase I), at the time of the examination (phase II), and 12–14 days after the examination (phase III). A control group consisted of students not taking an examination. The results demonstrated an increase in state anxiety, global stress level, systolic blood pressure and serum prolactin during stress (i.e. in phase II). In phase III, the psychological responses were normalized, but both systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as serum prolactin, were still elevated.