ADRENOCORTICAL EFFECTS ON INFORMATION PROCESSING

最近的证据表明，工作记忆受到很大的影响 通过消极的情绪状态和伴随而来的皮质醇释放。 这个项目将考察积极和消极的影响 信息加工中的情绪和皮质醇反应。在一个 完全在对象内设计，参与者将在三个方面进行测试 天：在压力大的一天，他们会提前完成一系列精神任务 在一种旨在引起皮质醇释放和负面反应的应激源之后 情绪；在情绪良好的日子里，这些任务会在 在一部不含皮质醇的电影产生积极情绪后 回答；在第三天，任务将在前后进行管理 对情绪或皮质醇影响最小的休息期。 任务将测量工作记忆和感觉辨别，两个 被认为受情绪和皮质醇不同影响的过程 分泌物。为了全面检查压力荷尔蒙的活性 任务，皮质醇将在重复采集的唾液样本中进行测量 在整个实验过程中。脑力任务表现将 作为因变量，特别注意 皮质醇水平、报告的情绪和表现之间的关系 在任务上。这项研究可能会对理解 伴随情绪障碍的认知改变，如 抑郁症。

Recent evidence suggests that working memory is strongly influenced by negative emotional states and their accompanying cortisol release. This project will examine the influence of positive and negative emotions and cortisol responses on information processing. In a completely within-subjects design, participants will be tested on three days: On a stress day, they will complete a set of mental tasks prior to and following a stressor designed to elicit cortisol release and negative moods; on a positive mood day, the tasks will be performed before and after a film known to produce positive emotions with no cortisol response; on the third day, tasks will be administered before and after a rest period having minimal effects on either moods or cortisol. Tasks will measure working memory and sensory discrimination, two processes thought to be affected differentially by emotions and cortisol secretion. To fully examine the activity of stress hormones during the tasks, cortisol will be measured in repeated saliva samples taken throughout the experimental sessions. Mental task performance will serve as the dependent variable with special attention paid to associations between cortisol levels, reported moods and performance on the tasks. This research may have implications for understanding cognitive alterations accompanying emotional disorders such as depressive illness.