“Estrés académico y su relación con la memoria de trabajo en estudiantes universitarios.”

Abstract

This paper has a proposal for analyzing how academic stress and working memory are related among college students. I applied two sub-test called Neuropsi (neuropsychological test battery) that allow us to measure working memory. Also, I used a tool called Sisco (structure and internal consistency) that enables us to measure the academic stress. The data obtained, I analyzed throughout statistical software called InfoStat. The subjects that I analyzed have among seventeen to twenty-seven years old. They have been selected under inclusive and exclusive criteria; it realized a transversal court study because the test had applied once. It was a non-experimental test because there were not variables manipulation, and also it was a correlation study because the target of calculus and analysis were to determine if two variables mentioned were related. To verify the hypothesis raised, I tested the original variables through Spearman's rank correlation and Student's t-test. The data shows us that there is a negative correlation among Person's values, p (-0,20 & 0,0349); this confirms that the hypothesis is available; it means that the working memory and academic stress are co-related. I can establish three kinds of levels between college students; these are physical, psychological, and behavioral stress; these types of grades of stress can measure as mild, moderate, and severe. Physical stress.- I established that 32% of subjects show severe stress, 35% moderate stress, and 33% mild stress. Psychological stress.- the data displays us that 31% have severe stress, 34% have moderate stress, and 35% have mild stress. Behavioral stress.- I got that 37% of subjects show severe stress,31% moderate stress, and 31% mild stress. The results show us among all subjects evaluated; there were 31-37% of students have a severe level of Academic stress; it means the 3rd part of college students. The data obtained among college students about working memory display us that 35% of students rate as mild, it means there are a considerable number of students have issues in their working memory, it can affect their academic performance. The leading causes of academic stress are overload tasks, Homeworks (FR- 41 & 37%), and also professors' personality (FR 38, 34%).