Adverse childhood experiences, working memory, and stress

This study aimed to explore the relationships among adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), working memory as assessed by an n-back task, and stress. Working memory task demands were manipulated by varying the cognitive load (1-back/3-back) and time limit (standard-paced/time-restricted), and stress was measured both subjectively via self-report and objectively via heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). Eighty undergraduate participants completed a series of questionnaires and the n-back task while wearing a heart rate monitor. Accuracy was best in the 1-back blocks; however, ACE group differences in n-back accuracy were not detected. This study suggests that those with high ACEs had an elevated experience of subjective stress throughout the task and may have been able to adapt to this stress as reflected by greater HRV and the maintenance of similar n-back accuracy as compared to those with low ACEs.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Strickland, Lauren

Contributors dc:contributor

• Clark, Amanda J.
• Black, Kristen Jennings, 1991-; Howell, Ashley N.; Shelton, Jill T.
• College of Arts and Sciences

• Adult child abuse victims--Psychology
• Working memory
• Stress (Psychology)

Licence

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/797

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1985