Fall Seminar: “Busting Myths about Stress and Memory: Evidence from Behavioral Studies and Neurocognitive Networks"
- Friday 1pm October 2nd 1pm
- Buckman Theater
- Dr. Amy Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
- Amy Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. Before joining QU, Amy earned her B.A. in Psychology and Mathematics at SUNY Potsdam and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at Tufts University. At QU, Amy teaches classes on cognition and statistics and runs a research lab investigating the effects of psychological stress on memory and problem-solving.
- We all rely on our memory in stressful situations, such as when we have to give a high-pressure presentation in front of our peers. The results of over two dozen experiments have suggested that, in these stressful moments, our memory is impaired. By taking a closer look at the nature of the memories that are impaired by stress, my research has begun to show a different pattern of results: stress does not universally impair memory. Rather, stress may impair memory for information that is not well-learned, but can actually enhance memory for information that is well-learned. In this talk, I will discuss both the behavioral findings from my research and the neural mechanisms involved in stress and memory that support this emerging theory.
