Psychophysiological and emotional stress responses in higher education: A neuroeducational approach to sex and discipline differences

BACKGROUND: Academic stress affects emotional regulation and autonomic function, influencing students' well-being and academic performance. While sex- and discipline-related differences have been studied separately, their combined psychophysiological effects remain underexplored. This study examines how sex and academic discipline shape emotional and autonomic responses to stress and their relationship with academic outcomes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 680 Colombian university students (71.3% women; 81.6% psychology, 18.4% engineering). The psychology group included 71.2% women and 28.8% men, while the engineering group comprised 72.0% women and 28.0% men. Acute stress was measured with the STAI-S and CSAI-2R, autonomic regulation via short-term HRV, and academic performance through a discipline-specific standardized GPA test. Non-parametric tests and multiple regressions with Benjamini-Hochberg correction were applied. RESULTS: Female students reported higher cognitive (M = 14.38), somatic (M = 18.08), and state anxiety (M = 26.34), as well as higher GPA (M = 4.07), than males (adjusted p values ≤ 0.002). Engineering students showed greater physiological activation (heart rate: 98.20 vs. 91.54; adjusted p = 0.013) but similar anxiety levels. HRV differences between disciplines were non-significant after correction. Self-confidence (β = 0.15, p = 0.001) and state anxiety (β = 0.10, p = 0.047) positively predicted GPA. Somatic anxiety negatively impacted academic performance in males only (β = -0.21, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: Findings reveal discipline- and sex-specific stress reactivity patterns. While self-confidence and moderate anxiety appear adaptive, somatic anxiety may impair performance in male students. These findings suggest that neuroeducational and sex-sensitive interventions targeting stress regulation may be useful in higher education.