Module II·Article I·~1 min read
Stress and Decision Quality: What Happens to the Brain
Decision-Making Under Pressure
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Physiology of Stress
When the brain perceives a threat, the "fight or flight" response is triggered: the adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline. This narrows the field of attention (tunnel vision), speeds up reaction, but worsens analytical thinking.
Prefrontal cortex — the center of System 2, logic, and planning — temporarily "shuts down" under high stress. Control shifts to the amygdala (the center of emotional reactions). This is useful when you need to run from a lion. It is destructive in negotiations, crisis management, and investment decisions.
How Stress Changes Decisions
Choice reduction: under stress, people see fewer options and quickly move to the first acceptable one (satisficing instead of optimizing).
Time horizon: stress shifts focus to immediate relief. Long-term consequences are underestimated.
Groupthink: in crisis, teams tend toward consensus and avoid conflicts — precisely when critical thinking is most important.
Confirmation bias intensifies: a stressful state reduces the ability to accept information that contradicts a decision already made.
Optimal Pressure: The Yerkes-Dodson Curve
The relationship between arousal and performance has an inverted U shape. With low arousal — boredom, low concentration. With optimal — peak performance. With high stress — deterioration.
For complex tasks (decision-making), the optimal arousal level is lower than for simple physical tasks.
Techniques for Decision-Making Under Pressure
STOP technique: Stop, Take a breath, Observe your thoughts, Proceed. A 10-second pause activates System 2.
Preprepared frameworks: when pressure is high, rely on previously developed checklists and protocols rather than situational thinking.
Temporal separation: decide, postpone, check after a pause — "sleep on it".
Practical Assignment
Recall a situation when you made a decision under strong pressure (deadline, conflict, crisis). (1) How did stress alter your perception and analysis? (2) What did you overlook? (3) Which protocols could help next time?
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