Psychological Courage Buffers BIS ‐Related Stress: A Two‐Wave Test

Psychological courage (PC)-the disposition to act despite fear and anxiety-has been proposed as a protective factor in the stress process, yet its role within Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) remains unclear. Within RST, dispositional Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) sensitivity reflects proneness to anxiety during goal conflict and may increase vulnerability to stress over time. Rather than reducing anxiety, PC may buffer how BIS-related anxiety translates into changes in perceived stress. We tested this proposition in a two-wave panel study (62-day interval) using a nationwide Polish sample (N = 516). A moderation model predicted change in perceived stress from T1 BIS, T1 PC, and their interaction. Results showed that BIS predicted increases in perceived stress, and this association was weaker at higher levels of PC. These findings extend cross-sectional work by demonstrating a boundary condition role for PC in the stress process.