Examining the Physiological Interplay of Memory Formation and Distractive Stimuli

Abstract

Distractive stimuli divert students’ attention and disrupts the memory formation process. Stress, as measured by physiological changes including rise in blood pressure, heart rate and skin conductance, also affect the formation of memories.This research aimed to investigate the human physiological response to distractive auditory stimuli along with the ability to recall material learned in the context of distractive auditory stimuli. Blood pressure, heart rate, and skin conductance were measured for 26 participants. Subjects underwent a 30 second memorization phase, followed by a 3 minute sorting task, and a 1 minute phase to recall the list of 7 words given in the beginning of the experiment. An experimental group listened to the iPhone ringtone “The Opening” during the memorization phase while the control group performed their task in silence. The results indicate that the distracted group recalled on average 20.2% less words than the undistracted group. However, statistical analysis indicates no significant difference between the physiological responses of participants in the distracted group versus the undistracted group