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Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
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Exploring the Link Between Stress and Working Memory in Adults.

Constança Carvalho1, Cláudia Reis1, Margarida Serrano1,2

  • 1Polytechnic University of Coimbra, Rua da Misericórdia, Lagar dos Cortiços, S. Martinho do Bispo, 3045-093 Coimbra, Portugal.

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High perceived stress negatively impacts auditory working memory performance, especially in younger adults. This suggests stress management is crucial for cognitive function and accurate assessments.

Keywords:
auditory memorycognitive performanceperceived stresspseudoword spanworking memory

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Stress Research

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) is vital for cognitive functions like reasoning and learning.
  • Stress is known to influence working memory capacity and efficiency.
  • This study examined the link between perceived stress and auditory working memory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between perceived stress levels and auditory working memory performance.
  • To determine if stress impacts the ability to recall phonologically demanding information.
  • To explore potential age-related differences in stress and working memory.

Main Methods:

  • 24 adults (16 women, 8 men; median age 22) participated.
  • Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10).
  • Auditory working memory was assessed using a pseudoword span task under phonological load.

Main Results:

  • Higher perceived stress correlated with lower accuracy in auditory working memory, particularly on the most challenging sets.
  • Increased stress was associated with greater performance variability and decline across memory sets.
  • Higher stress scores were linked to younger age, suggesting younger adults may experience more stress.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated stress negatively affects working memory efficiency, especially for phonological processing tasks.
  • Cognitive assessments should consider individual stress levels for accurate interpretation.
  • Findings support the hypothesis that stress impairs working memory, with implications for cognitive health.