Introducing the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST): A quick and non-invasive approach to elicit robust autonomic and glucocorticoid stress responses
Open accessAbstract
Stress-related research has employed several procedures to activate the human stress system. Two of the most commonly used laboratory paradigms are the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and the Cold Pressor Test (CPT). We combined their most stressful features to create a simple laboratory stress test capable of eliciting strong autonomic and glucocorticoid stress responses. In comparison with the CPT and its variations, our stress tool (labeled the Maastricht Acute Stress Test; MAST) was found to yield superior salivary cortisol responses, while being equally effective in eliciting subjective stress reactions and (systolic and diastolic) blood pressure increases (study 1; N=80). In study 2 (N=20), we directly compared the effectiveness of the MAST and TSST and found that both methods elicited similar subjective, salivary alpha-amylase, and salivary cortisol stress responses. Finally, we developed and evaluated an appropriate no-stress control version of the MAST that was similar to the stress version, although it did not comprise stressful components (study 3; N=40). Collectively, our results confirm the effectiveness of the MAST in terms of subjective, autonomic, and--most importantly--glucocorticoid stress responses. Thus, as a brief and simple stress protocol, the MAST holds considerable promise for future research.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The fundamental memory field gives preference to validated stressors such as CPT, TSST, and MAST.
“The fundamental memory fi eld gives preference to validated stressors such as laboratory-based tasks that have been developed to reliably increase physiological and subjective stress. Two of the most prominent laboratory-based stressors to elicit autonomic and HPA axis arousal and stress include the Cold Pressor Test (CPT; Lovallo, 1975), in which participants immerse their hands in ice water, and”
From The effects of acute stress on eyewitness memory: An integrative review for eyewitness researchers (2021) · cites this paper as Smeets et al., 2012
The Introduction describes the CPT and TSST as laboratory stressors, and the Discussion reports that the MAST elicited subjective, autonomic, and cortisol stress responses. The paper does not establish that the memory field prefers these tasks. It also distinguishes their effects: the CPT reliably activates the autonomic stress response but elicits only minor cortisol responses. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe Trier Social Stress Test and the Maastricht Acute Stress Test activate the autonomic nervous system and the HPA axis.
“Both of these stressors activate the autonomic nervous system and the HPA axis (e.g., Dickerson & Kemeny, 2004; Shilton et al., 2017; Smeets et al., 2012).”
From The effects of acute stress on eyewitness memory: An integrative review for eyewitness researchers (2021) · cites this paper as Smeets et al., 2012
Validated laboratory stressors such as the Trier Social Stress Test and the Maastricht Acute Stress Test can accomplish valid stress induction.
“this can be accomplished by using validated laboratory stressors, such as the Trier Social Stress Test (Kirschbaum et al., 1993) and the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (Smeets et al., 2012).”
From The effects of acute stress on eyewitness memory: An integrative review for eyewitness researchers (2021) · cites this paper as Smeets et al., 2012
The Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) reliably elicits robust subjective, autonomic and glucocorticoid stress responses.
“while being exposed to a laboratory stressor that reliably elicits autonomic and glucocorticoid stress responses or while performing a control task.”
From Stress, stress-induced cortisol responses, and eyewitness identification performance (2016) · cites this paper as Smeets et al., 2012
The MAST is known to evoke reliable and strong stress reactions in the laboratory.
“the MAST is a potent stress manipulation that is known to evoke reliable and strong stress reactions in the laboratory (Smeets et al., 2012)”
From Stress, stress-induced cortisol responses, and eyewitness identification performance (2016) · cites this paper as Smeets et al., 2012
The MAST is a powerful and standardized procedure for stress induction in the laboratory.
“the use of a powerful and standardized procedure for stress induction in the laboratory (MAST; Smeets et al., 2012)”
From Stress, stress-induced cortisol responses, and eyewitness identification performance (2016) · cites this paper as Smeets et al., 2012
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet
References 58 · Cited by 376
Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Coleman, A., Freeman, P., Steel, S., Shennan, A., 2006. Validation of the Omron 705IT (HEM-759-E) oscillometric blood pressure moni- toring device according to the British Hypertension Society pro- tocol. Blood Press. Monit. 11, 27-32.
- Kirschbaum, C., 2010. Trier Social Stress Test. In: Stolerman, I.P. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin.
- Harmon-Jones, E., Winkielman, P. (Eds.), Social Neuroscience: Integrating Biological and Psychological Explanations of Social Behavior. Guilford Press, New York, pp. 56-83.
- Kudielka, B.M., Kirschbaum, C., 2005. Sex differences in HPA axis responses to stress: a review. Biol. Psychol. 69, 113-132.
- Lovallo, W., 1975. The cold pressor test and autonomic function: a review and integration. Psychophysiology 12, 268-282.
- Riley III, J.L., Robinson, M.E., Wise, E.A., Price, D.D., 1999. A meta- analytic review of pain perception across the menstrual cycle. Pain 81, 225-235.
- Stergiou, G.S., Yiannes, N.G., Rarra, V.C., 2006. Validation of the Omron 705 IT oscillometric device for home blood pressure measurement in children and adolescents: the Arsakion School Study. Blood Press. Monit. 11, 229-234.
- Authors
- Smeets, T., Cornelisse, S., Quaedflieg, C. W. E. M., Meyer, T., Jelicic, M., & Merckelbach, H.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Smeets, Tom
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-12
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1998-2008
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2102580529
- Cited by
- 376
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 35 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (056-25-011, 451-08-005)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
- Keywords
- Maastricht Acute Stress Test, laboratory stress induction, salivary cortisol, salivary amylase, autonomic stress response, glucocorticoid stress response, Trier Social Stress Test, cold pressor test, subjective stress, blood pressure
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Autonomic Nervous System, Blood Pressure, Glucocorticoids, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Psychological Tests, Saliva, Stress, Psychological, Salivary alpha-Amylases, Self Report
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
