Working memory in different stages of menstrual cycle Cover Image

Radno pamćenje u različitim fazama menstrualnog ciklusa
Working memory in different stages of menstrual cycle

Author(s): Ana Vujica, Maida Koso-Drljević, Ratko Đokić
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Health and medicine and law
Published by: Logotip
Keywords: menstrual cycle; estrogen; working memory;

Summary/Abstract: Aim of the study was testing whether natural fluctuations of estrogen levels during regular menstrual cycle haves dissociative effects at verbal and spatial measures of working memory (WM). Specifically, it was tested whether, in comparison to menstrual phase which is characterized by low levels of estrogen, heightened levels of estrogen during late follicular phase facilitates performance at verbal and inhibits performance at spatial WM span task. 31 female psychology student participated in the study. Within two-way repeated measures analysis of variance, the only effect on WM span that approached conventional level of significance was interaction between menstrual phase and type of WM span task (p = .06). Compared to the menstrual phase, (assumed) higher levels of estrogen during the late follicular phase improved the scores at verbal and lowered the scores at spatial WM span task; both of these two effects were small (in terms of Cohen’s d) and insignificant. The results are discussed within the context of the executive attention concept of WM.

  • Issue Year: 2019
  • Issue No: 5
  • Page Range: 10-32
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Bosnian