Stress and evaluations of performance are commonplace in domains such as education, yet surprisingly little research in humans has investigated the effects of stress on cognition. Although academic success is often attributed to innate ability, how individuals respond to situational factors, such as stress, may have an even greater influence on cognitive performance. Thus, it is particularly important to investigate how stress influences the neural processes supporting cognitive performance. Research suggests that too much stress may cause an increase in distraction and an accompanying shift away from engagement of the brain's cognitive control network (CCN), which guides attention outwardly toward the task, toward greater engagement of the default mode network (DMN), which guides attention inwardly. As cognitive control is often required to maintain high performance, especially on difficult tasks, this shift may result in a decrease in task performance. The project will investigate how stress affects levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as brain activity in the CCN and DMN during the performance of a difficult task requiring cognitive control. The research is important because it may identify neural mechanisms by which stress may prevent students from performing to their potential. This information may aid in effectively developing approaches to minimize the negative impact of stress on cognitive performance. Additionally, the proposed research will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in scientific research, as Rutgers-Newark is consistently rated as having the most diverse undergraduate population in the nation. Furthermore, through an established program at Rutgers-Newark, local high school students from underrepresented minority groups will assist with the proposed research.
The project combines physiological measurements of the stress hormone cortisol with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how psychosocial stress influences cognitive control processes and task performance. We aim to determine the effects of the Trier Social Stress Test, a known psychosocial stressor involving social-evaluative threat that reliably elevates cortisol release, on task performance and brain network engagement during a Go/No-Go task. This task is ideal because it requires cognitive control and sustained attention, and distraction leads to a suboptimal response. The project combines levels of analysis to provide links between the cognitive, physiological, and neural effects of stress. By investigating the relationship between psychosocial stress and the engagement of DMN and CCN, this research will provide important insights into how factors other than intelligence, such as how a potentially stressful event is experienced, drive the brain processes that determine cognitive performance and academic achievement.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
