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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/10090/3870
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| Title: | Attention and memory capability when influenced by stress and alcohol |
| Authors: | Syed, Zarina |
| Issue Date: | 6-Feb-2008 |
| Abstract: | Attention and Memory Capability when influenced by Stress and Alcohol
Attention and memory are two cognitive functions of the human brain. Memory functions
in the same respect. Memory as previously mentioned is the retention of memory and the
ability to report back that memory. In low doses alcohol has been shown in studies to
improve the attentional ability of subjects. The test was given twice for each group;
however the group given alcohol never received the test before the alcohol was given.
The testing was done using two separate experiments which measured reaction time
among the subjects. There is a large discrepancy between the group given alcohol and
the group not given alcohol. So if the subject groups, both given and not given alcohol,
had had a larger percentage of males that might have affected the results. There were
three subject groups for the experiment. All subjects were subjected to test that measured
alcohol intake, three tests to measure ADHD and six that measured their cognitive
functioning in terms of their attention span. The subjects where tested twice, once before
alcohol was given and once after.
The only subjects used were females. Stress can also cause problems with attention.
This article was just talking about how stress affected the rats’ ability to show attention,
but what about how the stress affected other parts of the rat’s cognitive function.
Stress is known to affect memory function. Kleen et al. looked at the effect of chronic
stress on spatial memory functions. However depending on the type if memory affected
stress could have the potential to increase the memory consolidation process. In order to
test this theory there were two subject groups used in the experiment. One group
received emotion-related stress and the other as the control group did not. Jelicic
suggested that the amount of cortisol released would increase as stress was introduced to
a subject during a memory task. Subjects were also asked to report what they believed
their personal level of stress was during the experiment.
As memory was affected by stress, alcohol has also been shown to have a negative effect
on memory forming. In the article, Alcohol Attenuates Load-related Activation During a
Working Memory Task: Relation to Level of Response to Alcohol. IT was proposed that
when alcohol is present that the subjects would show a lower response level to memory
tasks and would be unable to report correct memories when tested some time after the
experiment had been completed. |
| Description: | A Senior Capstone Experience thesis submitted to the Washington College Department
of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts/Sciences degree requirements. Thesis Advisor: Dr. Christian Reich |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10090/3870 |
| Appears in Collections: | Washington College Psychology Senior Capstone Experience
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Files in This Item:
| File |
Description |
Size | Format |
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| Syed_PSY.pdf | | 273Kb | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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