I came across this article while browsing, and thought it was pertinent.. With exams fast approaching, this is the time of year when stress levels skyrocket. According to this article, brief periods of high stress can actually be beneficial to the individual because they help to improve alertness and, consequently, improve cognitive performance.
The researchers note that while they observed favorable effects, there is obviously the potential for negative effects as well.. Daniela Kaufer stated that "Stress can be something that makes you better, but it is a question of how much, how long, and how you interpret or perceive it."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130416204546.htm
I really liked this article. I thought it was neat how stressful situations can make you more alert and prepare you for going through it again in the future. I also found it interesting that the lab rats performed better at the task two weeks later rather than 2 days after the stressful event.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a very interesting article as well. Obviously everyone agrees that long term stress is bad for you because it can lead to depression and the inability to form new neurons. The effects of acute stress are debatable though. I believe that small amounts of stress can be good for you in certain situations, but could also be bad. I guess it mainly just depends on how stressful the event was.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article. Acute stress helps me perform better on exams because it forces me to actually focus.
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