Abstract
This study examined the association between chronic stress and cognition. Specifically, this study analyzed how students’ working memory capacity may be associated to normal college stressors versus college stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participant stress levels were measured by asking them to reflect on a normal college semester or a semester during the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of a revised version of the College Chronic Life Stress Survey by Towbes and Cohen (1996). Participants were then asked to complete a complex working memory task called the operation span task, created by Turner and Engle (1989). A bivariate correlation analysis was used to assess the data. The results were not significant but showed that there was a negative correlation, suggesting that people who have higher stress levels trend towards having a lower working memory capacity.
Advisor
Foster, Nathan
Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Arnosti, Carina G., "“Thanks for the Memories, Even Though They Weren’t So Great”: The Relationship Between Chronic Stress and Working Memory in College Students" (2021). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 9602.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/9602
Disciplines
Psychology
Keywords
Chronic Stress, Working Memory, College Student Population
Publication Date
2021
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2021 Carina G. Arnosti