Stress effects on cognition: Evidence for stress-related disruption of attention and inhibitory control

Abstract While stress can impair cognitive functions, including attention and inhibition, it is not always deleterious; e.g., stress could also increase alertness, motivation, and concentration. Limited research has examined these effects in clinical populations experiencing high perceived stress. The current study investigated the impact of perceived stress levels, as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), on attention and inhibition in 91 participants grouped into high, moderate, and low perceived stress levels. Participants completed online versions of the Stroop and Go/No-Go tasks to assess attention and inhibition. Results revealed that participants with higher perceived stress exhibited longer reaction times and fewer correct responses than those reporting lower stress across both tasks. ANOVA revealed significantly poorer performance on the Stroop and Go/No Go tasks among individuals in the high-stress group compared with the moderate- and low-stress groups. Introducing auditory or visual interference further disrupted cognitive performance in the high-stress group. These findings indicate that raised perceived stress negatively impacts attention and inhibition. The study provides evidence that chronic stress may impede cognitive abilities and suggests that further research should examine stress effects in clinical cohorts. This investigation makes a meaningful contribution by demonstrating the deleterious impacts of high perceived stress on cognition in a clinical sample, addressing a gap in the literature.