Inverse relation between cortisol and anger and their relation to performance and explicit memory

► Social evaluation and helplessness are known to increase the cortisol response. ► We investigated the possible opposite effect of induced anger on cortisol. ► Anger, a negative emotion, reduced the cortisol response. ► Higher cortisol levels improved cognitive performance and explicit memory; anger lowered them. ► The adaptive value of acute changes in cortisol is emphasized.