New research has shown that people who worry about the COVID-19 epidemic are less efficient at processing and retaining data, as well as more inclined to underestimate negative outcomes than those who don’t feel anxious.

The study, conducted by McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, surveyed 1,500 Americans online from April to June 2020. 

According to the authors, people who are more concerned about coronavirus or its effects perform worse in information processing tests. They also have a less accurate view of risks.

Researchers discovered that even though there was concern, people polled in June 2020 (when governments were taking strict security measures and coverage of the pandemic had been constant) performed worse than before and showed lower processing speeds, task-switching accuracy, greater risk sensitivity, and slower processing speeds.

The study surveyed 1,500 Americans between April and June of 2020

1 500 Americans were surveyed between April 2020 and June 2020.

A recent study found that people who are more worried about COVID-19 had 'reduced information processing speed' and were more sensitive to negative odds

According to a recent study, people more concerned about COVID-19 were less likely to process information quickly and more susceptible to negative outcomes.

McGill’s graduate student Kevin da Silva Castanheira, study author and researcher on the subject of cognitive ability testing was quoted in a release by the Canadian university.

The impairments in worry seen here indicate that our ability to think and plan for, as well as evaluate risk, is affected by high levels of stress such a pandemic. These changes must be understood as management of stressful situations relies heavily on them.

On November 18, the study was published in PLOS ONE, an open-access journal.

Participants had to complete an information processing task where they were required to match symbols and digits according to a set rule. 

To measure risk preferences, researchers used a ‘classic economic choice task’ in which participants had to make a series of hypothetical choices between a ‘certain’ option, like winning $75, and a ‘risky’ option, like a 25 percent chance of winning $0 and a 75 percent chance of winning $100.  

The study was conducted by McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, or 'The Neuro,' above

The study was conducted by McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, or ‘The Neuro,’ above

The authors state that individuals reporting more pandemic-related anxiety were less sensitive to the described risk level. 

“As in the analysis of cognitive task performance this relationship between outcome probabilities and individual anxiety remained even after accounting for demographic variables and perception of COVID-19.  

“However, there was no evidence to suggest that more worry is associated with loss aversion or risk aversion.” We found instead that individuals were more likely to be worried about pandemics, which can lead them to underweighting and overweighting probabilities. This is regardless of their valence.

According to researchers, the most anxious people may feel more vulnerable to risks because they are more likely to search for information. This can lead to greater exposure to media that often discuss risk.

Data from before and after the pandemics were compared.  

'The impairments associated with worry observed here suggest that under periods of high stress, like a global pandemic, our ability to think, plan, an evaluate risks is altered,' said study author Kevin Da Silva Castanheira, a psychology grad student at McGill

‘The impairments associated with worry observed here suggest that under periods of high stress, like a global pandemic, our ability to think, plan, an evaluate risks is altered,’ said study author Kevin Da Silva Castanheira, a psychology grad student at McGill

As the pandemic progressed, test takers in the third wave – around June 2020 –  showed slower processing speeds, a lower ability to maintain goals in mind, and were more sensitive to risk than those in the first wave, according to McGill.

“Persistently impaired task performance might reflect the effect of chronic (i.e. According to the study, chronic stress exposure or shifts in worry could cause persistently impaired task performance.

Study author Dr. Madeleine Sharp says the next step would be to examine why 'some pepple are more sensitive than others to stress'

According to Dr. Madeleine Sharp, the next step is to study why some pepples are more sensitive to stress than others.

Researchers note in the new study that while previous reports have indicated that anxiety can impair executive functioning and cause cognitive resource loss, they also suggest that it may temporarily increase it.

Dr. Madeleine Sharp is a neurologist at Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital.

“Here are our results from studying large-scale effects of real stressors in real life. 

“An important future direction is to investigate why people are more sensitive that others to stress, and then to develop coping strategies to reduce stress.