The Drive to Survive: Acute Stress Promotes Aversive Motivation

Abstract

Although the acute stress response is a highly adaptive survival mechanism, much remains unknown about how its activation impacts our decisions and actions. Based on its resource-mobilizing function, here we hypothesize that this intricate psychophysiological process may increase the willingness (motivation) to expend energy. Across two experiments (n=80, n=84), participants exposed to a validated stress-induction protocol, compared to a no-stress control condition, exhibited an increased willingness to expend energy (grip force) in the service of avoiding the possibility of experiencing aversive electrical stimulation (threat-of-shock), but not for the acquisition of rewards (money). Use of computational cognitive models linked this observation to subjective value computations that prioritize safety over the conservation of energy; especially when facing unlikely threats that can only be neutralized via high levels of grip force. Taken together, these results suggest that activation of the acute stress response can selectively alter the willingness to expend energy for safety-related goals. These findings are relevant for understanding how, under stress, we become motivated to engage in vigorous, energy-consuming, actions aimed at avoiding aversive outcomes.