Resilience of navigation strategy and efficiency to the impact of acute stress

Increased cortisol may differentially impact navigation strategies. Three within-subjects experiments investigated how the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), the Cold Pressor Test (CPT), and a prolonged bout of physical exercise (PE), all known to increase cortisol, affect navigation strategy and efficiency. Participants learned an environment, were stressed, and then navigated. Cortisol was higher in all stress sessions relative to a no-stress control session. TSST and CPT did not affect strategy or efficiency, while PE increased shortcut use. Results suggest navigation strategies are resilient to cortisol-based stress however questions remain as to how strategy shifts occur.