The goal of the experiment was to investigate the relationship between stress reactivity and one’s Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) score. This was looked at through a two-part experiment including two surveys (the original CDC-Kaiser ACE questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). After participants filled out these forms, they then participated in the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST). The MAST is a stress test that involves participants submerging their left hand in ice water for a predetermined amount of time (90s, 60s, 45s) and then removing their hand from the water and counting backwards from 2,043 by 17s. There was a total of 18 participants used in the study, (14 females, 4 males, M=20.11 years old). Through ECG (electrocardiogram) and EDA (electrodermal activity) it was shown that a participant's ACE score is not related to their stress reactivity.
