Acute stress and working memory: The role of sex and cognitive stress appraisal

Abstract Sex is considered a moderating factor in the relationship between stress and cognitive performance. However, sex differences and the impact of cognitive stress appraisal on working memory performance have not received much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of phys...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiology & behavior 2016-10, Vol.164 (Pt A), p.336-344
Main Authors: Zandara, M, Garcia-Lluch, M, Pulopulos, M.M, Hidalgo, V, Villada, C, Salvador, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute stress
Adult
Attention - physiology
Body Mass Index
Cognitive stress appraisal
Executive Function - physiology
Female
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Hydrocortisone - metabolism
Male
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychiatry
Saliva - chemistry
Salivary cortisol
Self Report
Sex Characteristics
Sex differences
Social Behavior
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
Working memory
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Sex is considered a moderating factor in the relationship between stress and cognitive performance. However, sex differences and the impact of cognitive stress appraisal on working memory performance have not received much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of physiological responses (heart rate and salivary cortisol) and cognitive stress appraisal in Working Memory (WM) performance in males and females. For this purpose, we subjected a comparable number of healthy young adult males (N = 37) and females (N = 45) to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and we evaluated WM performance before and after the stress task. Females performed better on attention and maintenance after the TSST, but males did not. Moreover, we found that attention and maintenance performance presented a negative relationship with cortisol reactivity in females, but not in males. Nevertheless, we observed that only the females who showed a cortisol decrease after the TSST performed better after the stress task, whereas females and males who showed an increase or no change in cortisol levels, and males who showed a cortisol decrease, did not change their performance over time. In females, we also found that the global indexes of cognitive stress appraisal and cognitive threat appraisal were negatively related to attention and maintenance performance, whereas the Self-concept of Own Competence was positively related to it. However, these relationships were not found in males.
ISSN:0031-9384
1873-507X
DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.022