Acute stress improves analogical reasoning
Examining the roles of stress hormones and long-term memory
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21689172 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Amy M Smith (0000-0003-1398-9623, Quinnipiac University, corresponding author), Grace Elliott (0000-0003-4707-1562, Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Medford, MA, USA), Gregory I Hughes (0000-0002-0010-0613, Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Medford, MA, USA), Richard Feinn (0000-0002-4158-7640, Quinnipiac University), Richard S Feinn (Quinnipiac University), Tad T Brunyé (0000-0002-8788-8764, Center for Applied Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Medford, MA, USA) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 294-318 |
| Publication date | 2021-04-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Thinking & Reasoning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1354-6783 • E-ISSN: 1464-0708 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13546783.2020.1819416 |
| OpenAlex | W3085191900 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 52 |
Analogical reasoning relies on subprocesses of long-term memory and problem-solving. Stress, with its accompanying hormones dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and cortisol, has been shown to impair memory retrieval but potentially enhance problem solving. The present study combined Gick and Holyoak’s Duncker’s Radiation Problem with stress induction to determine the influence of stress on these two components of analogical reasoning. Participants (N = 131) learned an analog story and returned a day later for a stressful or non-stressful task. They then completed three consecutive tests: a spontaneous attempt at Duncker’s Problem, a recall test for the analog, and another attempt at Duncker’s Problem using analogical reasoning. Stress did not influence spontaneous problem-solving or story recall but did improve performance on the second attempt at Duncker’s Problem. Further, performance trended toward a positive association with DHEA. Thus, stress and increases in DHEA may enhance identification and use of an analog to solve a problem
Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Linguistics · Child and Animal Learning Development · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Neuroscience · Philosophy · Psychology · Stress Responses and Cortisol
Normative data for 144 compound remote associate problems
Psychometric properties of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA)
Schema induction and analogical transfer
Analogical problem solving
On problem-solving.
The effects of acute stress on core executive functions
The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ – A Tool for Investigating Psychobiological Stress Responses in a Laboratory Setting
Required Sample Size to Detect the Mediated Effect
The effects of acute stress on episodic memory
Effects of Partial Analogies on Solving an Ill-Defined Problem
| Highly cited | No |
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