1. an examination or evaluation designed to ascertain an individual’s capacity to perform a relatively complex task under purposefully stressful conditions.

2. a medical evaluation designed to assess the effects of stress, typically induced by physical exercise, on cardiac function. The most common of such procedures is a test in which the patient walks or runs on a treadmill while cardiac, respiratory, or other physiological processes are monitored.

3. in multidimensional scaling, a measure that indicates the reliability or goodness of fit of the solution. Stress tests also are used to determine the number of dimensions to be included in the scaling solution.