Litzenberger, Niklas; Jenni, Gabriel; Wettstein, Alexander (2026). Teachers’ acute cardiovascular response to observed classroom disruptions and resulting chronic endocrine stress. Analysis of dynamic effects with global assessments for state space grids. Frontiers in Physiology, 17, pp. 1-17 Frontiers. 10.3389/fphys.2026.1880670

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Introduction: Classroom disruptions are a major source of stress for teachers. However, teachers’ acute physiological stress response to classroom disruptions and its consequences for chronic stress remain poorly understood.

Methods: The present study assessed the acute cardiovascular stress response, i.e., heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), and chronic stress, i.e., endocrine hormones in the hair. Trained raters coded observed classroom disruptions in 133 videotaped lessons of 36 teachers, during which an ECG measured their cardiovascular activity throughout the lessons. Through the novel Global assessments for State Space Grids method (GSSG), we examined teachers’ acute cardiovascular response to classroom disruptions.

Results: Most teachers downregulated their HR and increased their HRV in reaction to classroom disruptions. Furthermore, three types of cardiovascular responses were identified: (1) maladaptive, (2) stable adaptive, and (3) unstable adaptive responses. Moreover, we introduced three measures of cardiovascular adaptiveness (i.e., HR regulation and HR short-term and long-term stability during classroom disruptions), which were linked to endocrine hormones in the hair longitudinally.

Discussion: Results indicate that teachers with less adaptive cardiovascular responses exhibited a hormone pattern reflecting greater physiological dysregulation, whereas more adaptive responses were linked to more favorable hormone levels. The study shows that disruptions in social interactions affect acute cardiovascular responses and may influence long-term neuroendocrine hormone levels. Responding adaptively to social challenges may therefore be beneficial for both cardiovascular and neuroendocrine health. Moreover, the novel GSSG method proved useful for linking behavioral and physiological measures in social interactions.

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