Effect of Acute Stress on Working Memory in Pilots: Investigating the Modulatory Role of Memory Load

The effect of acute stress on working memory (WM) has not been extensively investigated in demanding tasks, although many practitioners, such as pilots, frequently face varying working memory demands. The current study investigated how acute stress modulates pilots’ WM performance. Forty-two pilots were randomly assigned to the stress group or the control group. The stress group experienced acute stress induced by the modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), whereas the control group did not receive any stress induction. Both groups performed N-back tasks under varying degrees of memory load (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores, heart rates, and salivary cortisol concentrations were measured in the experiment to determine the extent of induced stress. The results revealed that (1) The modified TSST effectively induced acute stress in the stress group. (2) As rising of memory load, the reaction time expectedly increased while accuracy decreased. (3) An interaction between the stress and control group was found for accuracy, indicating that acute stress might contribute to higher accuracy in moderate WM load (1-back). These suggestions support the emotion regulation hypothesis, in which acute stress induces heightened emotional states that impact WM performance. Furthermore, the current study explored the interplay between acute stress and memory load in a specific population, offering insights into potential pilots’ stress management strategies and training programs to improve pilots’ WM abilities. These applications would be beneficial for strengthening pilots’ coping mechanisms in emergencies and guaranteeing flight safety.