Does stress training generalize to novel settings?

Many high-stress task environments are complex and dynamic, and it is often difficult during training to anticipate the exact conditions that may be e ncountered in these settings. We conducted an empirical study to examine wh ether the positive effects of stress training that addressed one specific t ype of stressor and task would remain when trainees performed under a novel stressor or performed a novel task. Participants performed a laboratory ta sk under stress conditions. Measures of task performance and self-reported stress were obtained at three performance trials: (a) prior to stress train ing, (b) after a stress training intervention targeted to that specific tas k environment, and (c) under novel stressor/task conditions. Results indica ted that the beneficial effects of stress training were retained when parti cipants performed under a novel stressor and performed a novel task. We dis cuss the implications of this study with regard to their application in the design of stress training and the transfer of learning to complex, dynamic task environments.