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Behav. Sci. 2012, 2(1), 38-49; doi:10.3390/bs2010038

Article

Behavioral Effects of Upper Respiratory Tract Illnesses: A Consideration of Possible Underlying Cognitive Mechanisms

Andrew P. Smith

School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology, 63 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AS, UK

Received: 17 February 2012; in revised form: 5 March 2012 / Accepted: 6 March 2012 / Published: 15 March 2012

Download PDF Full-Text [194 KB, uploaded 15 March 2012 16:43 CET]

Abstract: Previous research has shown that both experimentally induced upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTIs) and naturally occurring URTIs influence mood and performance. The present study investigated possible cognitive mechanisms underlying the URTI-performance changes. Those who developed a cold (N = 47) had significantly faster, but less accurate, performance than those who remained healthy (N = 54). Illness had no effect on manipulations designed to influence encoding, response organisation (stimulus-response compatilibility) or response preparation. Similarly, there was no evidence that different components of working memory were impaired. Overall, the present research confirms that URTIs can have an effect on performance efficiency. Further research is required to identify the physiological and behavioral mechanisms underlying these effects.

Keywords: upper respiratory tract illness; common cold; reaction time; alertness; working memory

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