Abstract
The decisions we make can be influenced by our environment. Daily stress can impact our perception, cognition, and actions. The established model posits that acute stress diminishes
goal-directed control during reward-guided decision making, fostering a shift toward habitual
action and promoting suboptimal behavior. However, recent evidence contradicts this notion and
calls into question whether goal-directed behavior can remain intact under stress. Here, we used
the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) in conjunction with an olfactory-based Pavlovian
instrumental transfer (PIT) task to evaluate goal-directed responding toward coffee and food
rewards. Participants that underwent stress induction did not differ in their responding compared
to non-stressed controls. Both groups demonstrated outcome-specific PIT, indicating goal
directed behavior. This PIT effect appeared robust, signaling the efficacy of a PIT task with
ecologically relevant stimuli and rewards. These results suggest that goal-directed control can be
preserved under stress, and that the stress-habit link should be further reexamined to delineate
any boundary conditions or contingencies regarding the effects of acute stress on decision
making.