Publication Date

Summer 2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Evan Palmer; Valerie Carr; Cheryl Chancellor-Freeland

Abstract

The human brain has developed mechanisms to aid our survival, including attentional networks and stress response. Attentional shifts allow humans to react accordingly to their environment, following innate processes like fight or flight. Prolonged exposure to acute stress interferes with such cognitive processes as attention and working memory, impacting attentional systems. The present study examined the effects of acute stress on visual attention processes, specifically focusing on the orienting, alerting, and executive attention networks. 49 participants were randomly placed in either a stress or non-stress condition, then asked to reflect on either stressful or positive moments in their lives, respectively. Afterwards was a 20-minute Attention Network Test, combining a flanker task and spatial cueing task to measure the functioning of each attention network using response times. Both response time and error rate differences were used to measure the efficiency of the three attentional networks. Overall, the results confirmed previous research indicating faster response times in congruent conditions and with the use of spatial cues. As the stressor was ineffective, we found no significant differences in response times or error rates across either stress condition, though we found a significant effect on alerting network scores, suggesting a potential relationship between stress and attentional processes related to immediate visual responding. The current study highlights the importance of considering stress effects on attentional components, paving the way for future investigation into stress-cognition interactions.

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