Newcomer et al (1999) studied the effects of stress on verbal declarative memory.

The aim of
the study was to determine if glucocorticoids (cortisol) released from the adrenal cortex
during times of stress have an adverse effect on cognitive functions such as learning and
memory.

A self-selected sample (recruited through advertisement) of 51 normal and healthy people

aged 18–30 were used. All participants were employees or students at the Washington
University Medical Centre. All participants were given a clinical interview with a physician.
They were excluded from the sample if they were pregnant, had a history of mental illness,
had suffered head trauma, or had suffered from an illness that had been treated with
corticosteroids. In addition, participants not routinely sleeping during the night hours were
excluded to standardized circadian rhythms.

It was a randomized, controlled, double-blind experiment running for four days. All
participants gave informed consent. The participants were matched for age and gender to one
of three conditions:
 Condition 1 – high level of cortisol: The participants in the high-level cortisol group
were given a tablet containing 160 mg of cortisol on each day of the four-day
experiment. This dose of cortisol produces blood levels similar to those seen in people
experiencing a major stress event.
 Condition 2 – low level of cortisol: The participants in the low level of cortisol group
were given a tablet containing 40 mg of cortisol per day. This dose is similar to the
amount of cortisol circulating in the bloodstream of people undergoing minor surgical
procedures such as having stitches removed.
 Condition 3 – placebo group: The participants in this condition were given placebo
tablets - that is, a tablet that looked like the other tablets but with no active ingredient.
This was done in order to have a control group.

All participants were asked to listen to and recall parts of a prose paragraph. This tested their
verbal declarative memory over a period of four days. Paragraph recall was used as a valid
and sensitive measure of verbal declarative memory. Testing was done at baseline (day 0),
after day 1 and day 4 of treatment. All assessments were performed at approximately 4 PM,
with no food intake after 1 PM.

The results indicated that high cortisol levels impaired performance in the memory task since
the participants who received the highest level of cortisol also showed the worst performance
in verbal declarative memory.

The implications of this study are rather staggering. The results of this study indicate that
several days of exposure to cortisol at doses and plasma concentrations associated with
physical and psychological stress in humans can reversibly decrease verbal declarative
memory function in otherwise healthy humans. This could explain some of the memory
related symptoms of those suffering from depression, schizophrenia, or Alzheimer’s. Future
studies will be needed to define the plasma concentration threshold and duration of exposure
required to produce this impairment in healthy and clinical populations. The results are
relevant to identifying adverse physiologic conditions that can be targeted by future
treatments or prevention approaches.
1. (a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. [3]

. (b) Describe the sampling method used in the study. [3] 


. (c) Suggest an alternative or additional research method giving one reason for your [3]

 choice. 


2. Describe the ethical considerations in reporting the results and explain additional ethical
considerations that could be taken into account when applying the findings of the
study. [6] 


3. Discuss the possibility of generalizing the findings of the study. [3] 


4. Evaluate the study. [6]