Quantifying Stress and Cognitive Responses During Auditory Stressors Exposure

Abstract

Stress significantly impacts cognitive function, health, and overall well-being, with auditory stressors, such as occupational noise, posing a frequent challenge in both professional and personal environments. This study investigates the relationship between auditory stress, physiological stress responses measured through Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), and cognitive performance using Stroop and Hopkins Verbal Learning Task (HVLT) tests. Ten healthy participants (ages 18–60) were exposed to varying sound intensities – calm, mild, moderate, and disruptive and their physiological responses and task performances were analyzed. Results showed a progressive increase in GSR with sound intensity, indicating heightened physiological arousal, while Stroop test completion times improved under disruptive conditions, counterintuitively suggesting enhanced focused attention under extreme stress. Memory test scores, however, exhibited a partial U-shaped trend, with optimal performance under calm conditions, a decline in mild and moderate stress, and a recovery under disruptive conditions. These findings suggest that stress impacts cognitive tasks differently, with focused attention potentially benefiting from heightened arousal, whereas memory retention is more susceptible to impairment under stress. The study partially supports the Yerkes-Dodson law, demonstrating a nuanced relationship between stress levels and cognitive performance. This research highlights the importance of understanding stress responses to improve task efficiency and optimize environments for mental performance in real-world applications.

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