Skip to main content
IACM 2024

IACM 2024 Abstract Book »

Stress and Sociocultural Learning: Individuals with More Stress-Reactive Physiologies are Quicker to Learn Diverse Sociocultural Norms from Experiential Feedback


Abstract: The current research examines a novel antecedent of people’s ability to learn diverse sociocultural norms: the reactivity of their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s stress system. Extensive research shows that people’s interactions with individuals from backgrounds other than their own are stressful, and failing to follow appropriate social norms in such settings can exacerbate stress. Although stress is typically considered a liability, more stress-reactive individuals may be more motivated to learn diverse sociocultural norms to avoid subsequent transgressions and negative feedback. A pilot study found that people genetically inclined to stress-reactivity learned unfamiliar sociocultural norms from experiential feedback more quickly. Studies 1-2 replicated these findings using changes in cortisol levels, and self-perceived stress reactivity. Finally, Study 3 provided evidence for domain specificity: although stress reactivity was associated with slower learning on a general learning task, it was associated with faster learning in a sociocultural learning task.

Keywords: diversity; learning; norms; stress reactivity; cortisol

Shilpa Madan, Singapore Management University (Singapore)
Email: shilpamadan@smu.edu.sg

Krishna Savani, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong)
Email: krishna.savani@polyu.edu.hk

Desiree Phua, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR (Singapore)
Email: desphua@nus.edu.sg

Ying-Yi Hong, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
Email: yyhong@cuhk.edu.hk

Michael Morris, Columbia University, Graduate School of Business (United States)
Email: mwm82@columbia.edu

 


Powered by OpenConf®
Copyright ©2002-2023 Zakon Group LLC