Investigating the Effects of Stressful Stimuli on Learning and Working Memory

Abstract

Emotional stress in the form of fear, tension, or nervousness is ubiquitous to daily life. Studies have been conducted to determine their effects on a wide range of animals’ memory, showing an improvement to memory recall under moderate stress while high stress impaired both memory formation and recall. This paper discusses the previous research done on this topic and the significance of their results, along with important figures for comprehension. 3 studies were examined and other background information was researched surrounding the topic of psychology, corticosteroids associated with stress, and the role of the hippocampus and amygdala in memory. The paper argues that an improved memory under stress evolved to better suit the needs of primitive animals, while excessively stressful events are blocked out for protection. The paper is meant to illuminate the potential purpose of stress and its effects on memory and concludes with applications in the real world and future.