Bryn Mawr College 1 article published in JoVE Behavior Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm Andrew T. Gargiulo1, Xinyue Li1, Laura A. Grafe1 1Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College Stressful life events impair cognitive function, increasing the risk of psychiatric disorders. This protocol illustrates how stress affects cognitive flexibility using an automated operant strategy shifting paradigm in male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Specific brain areas underlying particular behaviors are discussed, and translational relevance of results are explored.