Schwabe and Wolf (2010)

examined the impact of learning under stress in 48 healthy young men and women. Participants were exposed to stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or a control condition while they learned emo- tional words and neutral words that were either conceptually associated with or unrelated to the stres- sor. Memory was assessed in free recall and recognition tests 24 h after learning. Learning under stress reduced both free recall and recognition performance, irrespective of the emotionality and the stress con- text relatedness of the words.

How is the group that is not stressed and not reactivated (control) act as a control for time? Or rather what does "control for time" mean?

The researchers wrote "To control for the effect of time on memory, we had another control group that was not stressed and did not reactivate experiences from their past."

I understand that the group makes a good baseline for comparing other results to, but where does time come into it?

References:

• Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2010). Learning under stress impairs memory formation. Neurobiology of learning and memory, 93(2), 183-188. https://www.psy.uni-hamburg.de/arbeitsbereiche/kognitionspsychologie/publications/schwabe2010b-nlm.pdf

Schwabe and Wolf (2010)

Rodent studies suggest that memory reconsolidating is impaired by stress. Here we examined in healthy humans the effect of stress on the reconsolidation of autobiographical memories. Participants recalled positive, negative and neutral episodes from their recent past and afterward exposed to a stressor (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or a non-arousing control condition. Additional groups of participants were exposed to the stressor without prior memory reactivation or were neither stressed nor asked to recall episodes from their past. Stress after memory reactivation impaired the memory for the neutral episodes 1 week later....

How is the group that is not stressed and not reactivated (control) act as a control for time? Or rather what does "control for time" mean?

The researchers wrote "To control for the effect of time on memory, we had another control group that was not stressed and did not reactivate experiences from their past."

I understand that the group makes a good baseline for comparing other results to, but where does time come into it?

References:

• Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2010). Learning under stress impairs memory formation. Neurobiology of learning and memory, 93(2), 183-188. https://www.psy.uni-hamburg.de/arbeitsbereiche/kognitionspsychologie/publications/schwabe2010b-nlm.pdf

Schwabe and Wolf (2010)

examined the impact of learning under stress in 48 healthy young men and women. Participants were exposed to stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or a control condition while they learned emo- tional words and neutral words that were either conceptually associated with or unrelated to the stres- sor. Memory was assessed in free recall and recognition tests 24 h after learning. Learning under stress reduced both free recall and recognition performance, irrespective of the emotionality and the stress con- text relatedness of the words.

How is the group that is not stressed and not reactivated (control) act as a control for time? Or rather what does "control for time" mean?

The researchers wrote "To control for the effect of time on memory, we had another control group that was not stressed and did not reactivate experiences from their past."

I understand that the group makes a good baseline for comparing other results to, but where does time come into it?

References:

• Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2010). Learning under stress impairs memory formation. Neurobiology of learning and memory, 93(2), 183-188. https://www.psy.uni-hamburg.de/arbeitsbereiche/kognitionspsychologie/publications/schwabe2010b-nlm.pdf

Schwabe and Wolf (2010)

examined the impact of learning under stress in 48 healthy young men and women. Participants were exposed to stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or a control condition while they learned emo- tional words and neutral words that were either conceptually associated with or unrelated to the stres- sor. Memory was assessed in free recall and recognition tests 24 h after learning. Learning under stress reduced both free recall and recognition performance, irrespective of the emotionality and the stress con- text relatedness of the words.

How is the group that is not stressed and not reactivated (control) act as a control for time? Or rather what does "control for time" mean?

The researchers wrote "To control for the effect of time on memory, we had another control group that was not stressed and did not reactivate experiences from their past."

I understand that the group makes a good baseline for comparing other results to, but where does time come into it?

References:

• Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2010). Learning under stress impairs memory formation. Neurobiology of learning and memory, 93(2), 183-188. https://www.psy.uni-hamburg.de/arbeitsbereiche/kognitionspsychologie/publications/schwabe2010b-nlm.pdf

I've been asked to rerun an experiment of my choice (exciting!!) (to examine my management abilities in organising an experiment), I've chosen this one out of personal interest. I also however want to improve the experiment in any way I can! So far I find that it is quite well though through.

My question is how is the group that is not stressed and not reactivated (control) act as a control for time? Or rather what does "control for time" mean? The researchers wrote "To control for the effect of time on memory, we had another control group that was not stressed and did not reactivate experiences from their past."

I understand that the group makes a good baseline for comparing other results to, but where does time come into it?

If anything strikes you as particularly questionable/could be improved, please note that as well it would be greatly appreciated. :)

Here is the article http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074742710000845

Schwabe and Wolf (2010)

examined the impact of learning under stress in 48 healthy young men and women. Participants were exposed to stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test) or a control condition while they learned emo- tional words and neutral words that were either conceptually associated with or unrelated to the stres- sor. Memory was assessed in free recall and recognition tests 24 h after learning. Learning under stress reduced both free recall and recognition performance, irrespective of the emotionality and the stress con- text relatedness of the words.

How is the group that is not stressed and not reactivated (control) act as a control for time? Or rather what does "control for time" mean?

The researchers wrote "To control for the effect of time on memory, we had another control group that was not stressed and did not reactivate experiences from their past."

I understand that the group makes a good baseline for comparing other results to, but where does time come into it?

References:

• Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2010). Learning under stress impairs memory formation. Neurobiology of learning and memory, 93(2), 183-188. https://www.psy.uni-hamburg.de/arbeitsbereiche/kognitionspsychologie/publications/schwabe2010b-nlm.pdf