Eunice Jung '20

Major: Psychology
Bio: Eunice Jung is a recent FCLC graduate, who completed their senior thesis in psychology
on the relationship between time salience, anxiety and stress, and working memory
performance in college students.

Title of Research: Does Time Salience Influence Working Memory Performance in College Students?
Mentor: Dr. Karen Siedlecki
Abstract: Working memory (WM) is a short-term memory system which is linked to academic achievement. An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of time salience on WM performance in a sample of college students. Three WM tasks (i.e., the Stroop task, 3-back task, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task) were completed by 60 college students, who then completed post-test questionnaires. A series of one-way ANOVAs did not find time salience influenced performance on the WM measures. Time salience also did not evoke stress or anxiety associated with completing a WM task. This study, though it showed non-significant results, can be applied to the understanding of student mental health and education, as research in this area reveals concerns around the detrimental effects of anxiety on memory performance. Studies in this area emphasize the importance of providing mental health tools like professional training of professors and advancements in studying-enhancing techniques.