Title: Learning and memory under stress: implications for the classroom | npj Science of Learning
Headings: Learning and memory under stress: implications for the classroom
Learning and memory under stress: implications for the classroom
Abstract
The well-coordinated physiological response to stressors
Time-dependent effects of stress on memory quantity
Stress and the dynamics of memory
Stress alters the way we learn: effects on memory quality
Stress and memory in the classroom
Conclusion and outlook
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Content: Taking these insights from psychology and neuroscience into account could bear the potential to facilitate processes of education for both students and teachers. Download PDF
Stressful events are very common in educational settings, both for students and for teachers. A multitude of exams, evaluations and deadlines creates an enormous pressure to perform. This stress, however, can have a critical impact on learning and memory processes, 1, 2 which are at the heart of our educational system. Beyond their relevance in educational contexts, stress-induced alterations in learning and memory are also thought to contribute to stress-related mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. 3 Therefore, a large number of studies has been conducted to better understand how stress affects learning and memory. The effects of stress were found to be complex, though, with stress having both enhancing and impairing effects on memory, depending on the specific memory process or stage that is affected by stress 1, 4 and the activity profile of major physiological stress response systems. This review summarises the current state of knowledge on the impact of (acute) stress on memory and derives implications for educational settings from these laboratory findings. Because our focus is on memory processes most relevant in the classroom, we will concentrate mainly on the effects of (moderate) stress (induced in laboratory settings) on episodic and semantic memory, as well as the engagement of multiple memory systems in healthy humans (for reviews on the influence of stress on other forms of memory or other cognitive processes, see e.g. Arnsten 5 and Sandi 6 ). As the influence of stress on learning and memory is intimately linked to the physiological and endocrine changes initiated on a stressful encounter, we will cover these changes first.