Dynamic relationships between stress states and working memory
Dynamic relationships between stress states and working memory
This study examined relationships between working memory and subjective states on four successive occasions. Participants (n=112) performed a task requiring concurrent mental arithmetic and ordered recall of single words under increasing levels of time pressure. Subjective state was measured with the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire (Matthews et al., 2002), before and after performance on each occasion. Findings suggested reciprocal influences of state and working memory. Performance elicited state changes including increased task engagement and distress. However, state-change patterns themselves changed across days of testing, suggesting progressive adaptation to the task environment. State dimensions including lower distress and higher task engagement correlated with working memory. Structural equation modelling suggested a stable influence of states on performance across days. The dynamic interdependence of states and performance is discussed in relation to the transactional model of stress and emotion.
Attentional control, Distress, Task engagement, Transactional model of stress, Working memory
357-373
Matthews, Gerald
059730a6-fd15-40ce-9468-8c81f3718996
Campbell, Sian E.
bd32379d-66a8-4ac4-afb3-dcafe6445999
February 2010
Matthews, Gerald
059730a6-fd15-40ce-9468-8c81f3718996
Campbell, Sian E.
bd32379d-66a8-4ac4-afb3-dcafe6445999
Matthews, Gerald and Campbell, Sian E.
(2010)
Dynamic relationships between stress states and working memory.
Cognition and Emotion, 24 (2), .
(doi:10.1080/02699930903378719).
Abstract
This study examined relationships between working memory and subjective states on four successive occasions. Participants (n=112) performed a task requiring concurrent mental arithmetic and ordered recall of single words under increasing levels of time pressure. Subjective state was measured with the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire (Matthews et al., 2002), before and after performance on each occasion. Findings suggested reciprocal influences of state and working memory. Performance elicited state changes including increased task engagement and distress. However, state-change patterns themselves changed across days of testing, suggesting progressive adaptation to the task environment. State dimensions including lower distress and higher task engagement correlated with working memory. Structural equation modelling suggested a stable influence of states on performance across days. The dynamic interdependence of states and performance is discussed in relation to the transactional model of stress and emotion.
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Published date: February 2010
Keywords:
Attentional control, Distress, Task engagement, Transactional model of stress, Working memory
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Local EPrints ID: 505143
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505143
ISSN: 0269-9931
PURE UUID: fb9e91f7-8f7f-4f31-89ce-93f83e4dea30
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Date deposited: 30 Sep 2025 16:58
Last modified: 01 Oct 2025 02:08
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Contributors
Author:
Gerald Matthews
Author:
Sian E. Campbell
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