Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Practice Test

Negative emotional arousal in individuals with personality disorders can hinder their ability to do what?

1. Form relationships

2. Remember new information

3. Maintain employment

4. Express emotions

The correct answer is: Remember new information

The correct choice highlights that negative emotional arousal in individuals with personality disorders can particularly hinder their ability to remember new information. This is because heightened emotional states, especially negative ones such as anxiety or distress, can significantly affect cognitive functions, including memory. When a person is experiencing intense negative feelings, their brain's capacity to effectively encode and recall new information can be compromised. This is due to the fact that emotional states can distract from the learning process, and when the mind is overwhelmed by negative emotion, it may struggle to take in new data or link it to existing knowledge. While forming relationships, maintaining employment, and expressing emotions can also be impacted by negative emotional arousal, the essence of memory retention and recall stands out as particularly vulnerable. Cognitive overload and emotional dysregulation are key factors that can affect how well an individual is able to absorb and recall new information in the context of their emotional state.