What influence does stress have on an individual’s risk assessment?

Stress plays a significant role in how individuals assess risk, often impacting their decision-making processes. Under stress, the perception of risk can indeed become skewed in a negative way. This can lead to overestimating potential dangers or underestimating one's ability to handle certain situations. Stress can trigger a fight-or-flight response, which may divert attention from thorough analysis and cause a focus on immediate threats rather than a balanced evaluation of the overall situation.

When individuals are stressed, their cognitive resources may become limited, resulting in a reliance on heuristics or mental shortcuts that can lead to biased judgments. This can mean overlook important details or failing to consider all relevant information, which is essential for accurate risk assessment. Thus, the relationship between stress and risk perception is crucial, as it highlights why individuals may react differently to risk when under pressure.