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Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
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Published on: May 4, 2020

Self-affirmation improves problem-solving under stress.

J David Creswell1, Janine M Dutcher, William M P Klein

  • 1Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. creswell@cmu.edu

Plos One
|May 10, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Self-affirmation techniques can improve problem-solving skills in chronically stressed students. This study shows a way to boost academic performance by mitigating stress effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • High stress levels negatively impact problem-solving and creativity.
  • Protective factors against stress-induced cognitive impairment are not well understood.
  • Self-affirmation is a known psychological intervention that can buffer stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if self-affirmation can enhance problem-solving performance in chronically stressed individuals.
  • To explore a potential method for mitigating the negative effects of stress on cognitive tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Eighty undergraduates reporting high chronic stress were recruited.
  • Participants were randomly assigned to a self-affirmation or control group.
  • Problem-solving ability was assessed using difficult remote associate tasks under time pressure.

Main Results:

  • Self-affirmation significantly improved problem-solving performance.
  • The positive effect was observed in underperforming chronically stressed individuals.
  • This suggests self-affirmation can counteract stress-related deficits.

Conclusions:

  • Self-affirmation offers a viable strategy to enhance problem-solving under chronic stress.
  • This finding has implications for academic achievement and stress management in educational settings.