Examining the Influence of Stress and Anxiety on Visual Working Memory and Decision-Making

This study investigates how stress and anxiety influence the interplay between visual working memory and decision-making in human participants. Using the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT) to induce acute stress, we examined cognitive performance on a computerized behavioral paradigm (the Marble Jar Task) requiring the storage, manipulation, and utilization of visual information. Results revealed that while experimentally induced stress did not significantly affect overall accuracy, higher self-reported state anxiety was correlated with both lower decision-making accuracy and poorer visual memory performance. Interestingly, higher state anxiety was also correlated with increased attention towards high-value outcomes in decision- making. This work highlights the importance of understanding how stress and anxiety affect the interaction between interconnected cognitive functions, rather than studying isolated cognitive phenomena.