Personality and Stress Relief in Adolescents
Author Information
Author(s): Jeroen Pronk, Iris Eekhout, Katharina Preuhs, Olmo van der Mast, Renate van Zoonen, Symone B. Detmar
Primary Institution: Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)
Hypothesis
Individual personality differences influence adolescents’ preference for and effectiveness of physical or mental exercise to relieve stress.
Conclusion
Both physical and mental exercise effectively reduced stress in adolescents, with stronger effects when the activity performed matched their preference.
Supporting Evidence
- Stress levels increased after stress induction and decreased after stress relief activities.
- Participants preferred physical exercise over mental exercise for stress relief.
- BIS-sensitive adolescents preferred mental exercise but did not benefit more from it.
Takeaway
This study found that doing what you like helps you feel less stressed, whether it's jumping on a trampoline or doing breathing exercises.
Methodology
Adolescents participated in a study where their stress levels were measured before and after engaging in either physical or mental exercise.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on subjective self-reports of stress and lack of demographic data.
Limitations
The study's setting may not fully represent the broader population, and demographic data were not collected due to ethical constraints.
Participant Demographics
Adolescents aged 12 to 18 years from a science and education festival in the Netherlands.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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