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Cited by 1,097Stress Responses and CortisolEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 475 of the 480 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The Darwinian concept of stress: benefits of allostasis and costs of allostatic load and the trade-offs in health and disease

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Korte, S. Mechiel, Koolhaas, Jaap M., Wingfield, John C., McEwen, Bruce S.·2005·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
DOI 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.08.009
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Abstract

Why do we get the stress-related diseases we do? Why do some people have flare ups of autoimmune disease, whereas others suffer from melancholic depression during a stressful period in their life? In the present review possible explanations will be given by using different levels of analysis. First, we explain in evolutionary terms why different organisms adopt different behavioral strategies to cope with stress. It has become clear that natural selection maintains a balance of different traits preserving genes for high aggression (Hawks) and low aggression (Doves) within a population. The existence of these personality types (Hawks-Doves) is widespread in the animal kingdom, not only between males and females but also within the same gender across species. Second, proximate (causal) explanations are given for the different stress responses and how they work. Hawks and Doves differ in underlying physiology and these differences are associated with their respective behavioral strategies; for example, bold Hawks preferentially adopt the fight-flight response when establishing a new territory or defending an existing territory, while cautious Doves show the freeze-hide response to adapt to threats in their environment. Thus, adaptive processes that actively maintain stability through change (allostasis) depend on the personality type and the associated stress responses. Third, we describe how the expression of the various stress responses can result in specific benefits to the organism. Fourth, we discuss how the benefits of allostasis and the costs of adaptation (allostatic load) lead to different trade-offs in health and disease, thereby reinforcing a Darwinian concept of stress. Collectively, this provides some explanation of why individuals may differ in their vulnerability to different stress-related diseases and how this relates to the range of personality types, especially aggressive Hawks and non-aggressive Doves in a population. A conceptual framework is presented showing that Hawks, due to inefficient management of mediators of allostasis, are more likely to be violent, to develop impulse control disorders, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, sudden death, atypical depression, chronic fatigue states and inflammation. In contrast, Doves, due to the greater release of mediators of allostasis (surplus), are more susceptible to anxiety disorders, metabolic syndromes, melancholic depression, psychotic states and infection.

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Citations

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Show all 480 references

Research works printed but not linked: 12

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Metadata

Authors
Korte, S. M., Koolhaas, J. M., Wingfield, J. C., & McEwen, B. S.
Affiliations
  • Wageningen University & Research (NL)
  • University of Groningen (NL)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Rockefeller University (US)
Corresponding author
Korte, S. Mechiel
ORCID
Venue
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2005-02
Volume
29
Issue
1
Pages
3-38
ISSN
0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.08.009
OpenAlex
W2166771493
Cited by
1,097
References
480
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 83 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 67 · 2015: 67 · 2014: 55 · 2013: 71 · 2012: 58
FWCI
2.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords
stress, allostasis, allostatic load, evolutionary psychology, aggressive personality, stress coping strategies, fight-or-flight response, stress-related disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, hypertension, inflammation, impulsivity
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Behavior, Brain, Concept Formation, Biological Evolution, Female, Humans, Individuality, Male, Selection, Genetic, Species Specificity, Stress, Physiological, Models, Animal

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