We have investigated the effect of antiplasticization on the stress-optical behavior of polycarbonate (PC) containing terphenyls (tPh) and di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA). Addition of the three tPhs (p-, o-, and m-tPh) and DEHA at contents of 5-10 wt % increases the tensile storage modulus (E') of PC owing to the antiplasticization effect. In particular, p-tPh increases E' more than the other additives, suggesting that the rod-like shape matches the free volume of PC in the glassy state. The three tPh isomers improve the glassy birefringence of PC while DEHA does not change the glassy birefringence, which corresponds to the polarizability anisotropy. The stress-optical coefficient, a ratio of stress and birefringence, of PC decreases with increasing additive content in order of p-tPh >> o-tPh>m-tPh=DEHA. This result is agreement with a restricted rotational motion of additive molecule in PC, which is observed in dynamic mechanical and birefringence data. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1837-1842