Stress and Memory: Can Stressed Induced State-Dependency Overcome the Negative Effects of Stress at Retrieval?

The influence of stress on memory performance depends on the timing of stress induction during the memory process. Stress induced after encoding aids in later memory performance, whereas stress induced before retrieval impairs performance (Wolf, 2009). The present study tested whether the negative effects of stress on memory could be avoided by inducing stress both after encoding and before retrieval, thus inducing state-dependence and benefiting memory. Although stress exposure (the cold pressor stressor) successfully induced stress both after encoding and before retrieval, no evidence for a state-dependent memory benefit was found. The study also failed to replicate the positive effect of stress induced after encoding and the negative effect of stress induced before retrieval