We conclude that a verbal fluency task acts like an acute stressor that induces a cortisol and a perceived stress response without the need for further (e.g., social-evaluative) stress components. Implications for the integrated specificity model are discussed. No α-amylase, blood pressure, or heart rate, and therefore SNS, responses were found. Moreover, tiredness immediately after the task was negatively correlated with task performance. Furthermore, perceived stress and effort, as well as tiredness increased after the task. The verbal fluency task induced a HPA axis response with a maximum cortisol level at t 2 which was independent of task performance. Furthermore, blood pressure, heart rate, and ratings of actual stress perception, level of effort, and tiredness were measured. Salivary α-amylase and cortisol were assessed. Three saliva samples were collected, prior to the task (t 0), immediately after (t 1), and ten minutes after it (t 2). The categories were either ‘stress’ or ‘disease’ and ‘animals’ or ‘foods’ which were presented in a randomized order.

The sample consisted of n = 85 participants (68.2% female 33.3 ± 15.2 years) who performed two consecutive verbal fluency tasks for two minutes each. without the presence of any further stressors, induces responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). In this study, it was investigated whether a verbal fluency task by itself, i.e. Speech fluency can be impaired in stressful situations.

Adrenal cortex stress response