Writing about worries eases anxiety and improves test performance | University of Chicago News

Improving Test Performance Through Expressive Writing

• Core Finding: Writing about test-related worries for 10 minutes immediately before an exam can significantly improve performance for students prone to test anxiety.
• Mechanism: High-pressure situations deplete "working memory"—the brain's mental scratch pad. Expressive writing "unloads" these anxieties, freeing up the cognitive resources necessary to perform well.
• Study Results:
  • In a college math study, students who wrote about their feelings showed a 5% accuracy improvement, while the control group (who sat quietly) saw a 12% drop in accuracy.
  • In a ninth-grade biology study, highly anxious students who wrote about their worries achieved an average grade of B+, compared to a B- for those who did not.
• Key Researchers: Sian Beilock (Senior Author, University of Chicago) and Gerardo Ramirez.
• Publication: The study, "Writing about Testing Boosts Exam Performance in the Classroom," was published in the January 14 issue of Science.
• Broader Application: The technique is not limited to academic exams; it may help individuals perform better in other high-pressure scenarios, such as job interviews, public speaking, or business presentations.
• Expert Insight: Sian Beilock is a leading expert on "choking under pressure," a phenomenon where talented individuals perform below their skill level due to stress. Her book, Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To, explores these concepts further.