Verbal Working Memory Across the Day: Interactions with Sex and Hormones

Drobnič, Tjaša (2025) Verbal Working Memory Across the Day: Interactions with Sex and Hormones. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Verbal working memory fluctuates over the 24-hour day, commonly peaking in late morning and afternoon, and dipping in early morning, late at night, and in the post-lunch period, with patterns varying between individuals. Although verbal memory tasks generally yield higher scores for women compared to men, it is unclear whether this difference is influenced by female sex hormones or the time of day. Therefore, this study investigated whether verbal memory in young adults differs by sex and exhibits measurable fluctuations throughout the day. Since late chronotypes tend to show stronger effects of time of day, with peak performance later in the day and lower in the morning, we selected individuals with immediate-to-late timing profiles. Furthermore, since literature suggests that female hormones may act as a buffer against cognitive decline, this study highlighted potential disadvantages by focusing on women with low hormonal levels, while men were included regardless of their hormonal status. Overall, we hypothesized that, especially in females, verbal performance would be higher in the afternoon than in the morning. Because females are more sensitive to background noise, we expected their stronger disadvantage in the morning to persist or increase when background noise is present. To test these hypotheses, we assessed verbal learning and memory in 23 participants with a mean age of 20 years during morning and afternoon sessions. Contrary to expectations, verbal memory performance, including during and after trials with background noise, did not vary by circadian timing or biological sex. Therefore, in young individuals with an intermediate to late chronotype, verbal learning, memory, and exposure to background noise appear unaffected by these factors. It should be noted, however, that the study's sample size may be too small for the conclusions to be clear and definitive. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Sarampalis, A. and Gervais, N.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	18 Jul 2025 08:25
Last Modified:	18 Jul 2025 08:25
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5620

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