My Life and My Experiences Project

Youth will be randomly assigned to the HS (high stress) or LS (low stress) TSST-M condition. The objective activities will be identical in the HS and LS conditions but the context will vary. The HS condition will be highly evaluative. The researcher will tell youth that they are being videotaped in order to code their behaviors later. The observers will maintain neutral expressions, provide instructions in a neutral tone, and avoid eye contact. In the LS condition, evaluative components are removed \[31, 53\]. Observers will be introduced as new, and the videotaping will be explained as a check to ensure that the observers follow instructions. The observers will appear disorganized while giving instructions, smile, and maintain an open body posture and eye contact.