Influence of Stress on Economic Decision-Making in Student (Protocol No. 015-2016)
Researcher: Steven Lehrer, Jeffery Erlich, Evgeniya Lukinova
Purpose of Study : The main purpose of this study is to investigate specific biological mechanisms that can improve our understanding of how stress influences economics decisions. In this student population study we plan to collect hair samples and perform cortisol analysis of these samples. Typically called “the stress hormone,” cortisol is an adrenal hormone that influences, regulates or modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to stress. Saliva and serum samples are useful at providing measures of cortisol at a particular time point and, thus, might be associated with levels of acute stress. Instead just a few strands of hair can be used to evaluate stress over time, since any cortisol detected in the hair sample can reflect chronic stress over the period of hair growth. Compared to saliva and blood samples, hair samples are an attractive alternative, because they are relatively stable and can be stored and transported at room temperature.
Criteria of Subjects: This study only open to NYU students who are over 18 years old and over