Stress, be it physical or psychological, can have a devastating long-term impact on an individual’s development, health, and well-being, and yet can be adaptive in the short term (e.g., promoting immediate survival, triggering the desire to remedy social conflict). The stress response system involves physiological processes in reaction to a real or perceived threat, which serve a variety of purposes. This chapter reviews pertinent topics and research within the social neuroendocrine study of stress, including acute versus chronic stress, and how stress influences social behavior and status. Where appropriate, it offers critiques of current theoretical models and includes suggestions for future directions within this research area.