Blunted cardiac stress reactors exhibit relatively high levels of behavioural impulsivity

• Blunted cardiac stress responders exhibited greater motor impulsivity.
• Blunted cardiac stress responders exhibited lower inhibitory control.
• Greater impulsivity may be a link to maladaptive health and behavioural correlates.

Blunted physiological reactions to acute psychological stress are associated with a range of adverse health and behavioural outcomes. This study examined whether extreme stress reactors differ in their behavioural impulsivity. Individuals showing blunted (N = 23) and exaggerated (N = 23) cardiovascular reactions to stress were selected by screening a healthy student population (N = 276). Behavioural impulsivity was measured via inhibitory control and motor impulsivity tasks. Blunted reactors exhibited greater impulsivity than exaggerated reactors on both stop-signal, F(1,41) = 4.99, p = 0.03, ηp2 = 0.108, and circle drawing, F(1,43) = 4.00, p = 0.05, η p2 = 0.085, tasks. Individuals showing blunted cardiovascular stress reactions are characterized by greater impulsivity which may contribute to their increased susceptibility to outcomes such as obesity and addiction.