TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of an acute psychosocial stressor on episodic memory
AU - Stawski, Robert S.
AU - Sliwinski, Martin J.
AU - Smyth, Joshua M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Correspondence should be addressed to Robert S. Stawski, Gerontology Center, 118 Henderson Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail: [email protected] This study was conducted by the first author in partial fulfilment of the Master of Science degree at Syracuse University. We would like to acknowledge William Hoyer and Peter Vanable for valuable comments on earlier versions of this manuscript, as well as Tyera Eulberg and Christopher Terry for their help with data collection. This research was supported by grants from the NIMH (T32MH018904) and NIA (R01AG12448).
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - Although stressors are believed to impair memory, experimental studies with humans have provided inconsistent support for this conclusion. The current study was designed to examine the effect of an acute psychosocial stressor, and subsequent reactivity, on episodic memory. One hundred participants completed a list-recall task before and after random assignment into a stressor or nonstressor condition. Participants assigned to the stressor condition exhibited both impaired delayed and immediate recall, and also exhibited increasesin the commission of intrusions and perseverations. The experience of off-task thoughts and intentional suppression of such thoughts, were associated with greater impairment of immediate recall. Changes in state anxiety, negative mood, and heart rate were unrelated to changes in memory. These data indicate that exposure to a stressor impaired the recall of previously learned information, and compromised the recall of newly acquired information. Furthermore, cognitive interference is an important factor regarding stress-related impairments of episodic memory.
AB - Although stressors are believed to impair memory, experimental studies with humans have provided inconsistent support for this conclusion. The current study was designed to examine the effect of an acute psychosocial stressor, and subsequent reactivity, on episodic memory. One hundred participants completed a list-recall task before and after random assignment into a stressor or nonstressor condition. Participants assigned to the stressor condition exhibited both impaired delayed and immediate recall, and also exhibited increasesin the commission of intrusions and perseverations. The experience of off-task thoughts and intentional suppression of such thoughts, were associated with greater impairment of immediate recall. Changes in state anxiety, negative mood, and heart rate were unrelated to changes in memory. These data indicate that exposure to a stressor impaired the recall of previously learned information, and compromised the recall of newly acquired information. Furthermore, cognitive interference is an important factor regarding stress-related impairments of episodic memory.
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U2 - 10.1080/09541440802333042
DO - 10.1080/09541440802333042
M3 - Article
C2 - 19727439
AN - SCOPUS:70449633021
SN - 0954-1446
VL - 21
SP - 897
EP - 918
JO - European Journal of Cognitive Psychology
JF - European Journal of Cognitive Psychology
IS - 6
ER -