Abstract
BACKGROUND: Working memory (WM) is essential for reasoning, learning, and everyday cognitive tasks and can be influenced by stress. This study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and auditory working memory in 24 adults (16 women, 8 men; median age = 22). METHODS: Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and a pseudoword span task assessing auditory memory under phonologically demanding conditions. RESULTS: Participants with higher stress levels exhibited greater variability and a decline in performance across pseudowords sets, particularly in the final set. Correlational analyses revealed that higher PSS-10 scores were significantly associated with lower accuracy on the most demanding memory set (r = -0.467, p = 0.021) and with younger age (r = -0.489, p = 0.015). These findings suggest that elevated stress may impair auditory working memory, with younger adults reporting higher perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of considering stress levels in cognitive assessments and supports the hypothesis that stress negatively affects working memory efficiency, particularly in tasks requiring phonological processing.