Implicit need for achievement predicts attenuated cortisol responses to difficult tasks

• Autores: Oliver C. Schultheiss, Uta S. Wiemers, Oliver T. Wolf
• Localización: Journal of Research in Personality, ISSN-e 1095-7251, Vol. 48, Nº. 1, 2014, págs. 84-92
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The present research tested the hypothesis that the implicit need for achievement (n Achievement) predicts attenuated cortisol (C) responses to difficult tasks, because it represents a propensity to view difficulty as a cue to mastery reward. In two studies, n Achievement was assessed through content-coding of imaginative stories and salivary C was assessed both at baseline and post-task. In Study 1 (N = 108 US students), n Achievement predicted an attenuated C response to a one-on-one competition in the laboratory, regardless of whether participants won or lost. In Study 2 (N = 62 German students), n Achievement predicted an attenuated C response to the Trier Social Stress Test (Kirschbaum, Pirke, & Hellhammer, 1993), but not to a non-stressful control task. In Study 2 only, the attenuating effect of n Achievement was moderated by gender, with only men showing the effect. Across both studies, the average effect size of the association between n Achievement and C responses to difficult tasks was r = -.28. These findings point to a role of n Achievement in emotion regulation