by mr.push

Here’s a Way to Reduce Test Anxiety

Do you suffer with test anxiety? Many people do, and it can decrease their performance and their test scores. There may be a simple solution to this frustrating problem – write about it. A recent study showed that expressive writing before an exam can help take a bite out of test anxiety and help to improve test scores.

Expressive Writing for Test Anxiety?

According to research carried out  by Sian Beilock, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, writing about your anxieties before taking a test helps to boost test scores and relieve the fear of test-taking.

When researchers allotted college students ten minutes to write expressively about their test fears and anxiety before an exam, they performed better than test-takers who sat quietly instead of writing. How much better? The students who wrote about their fears improved their grade by a full point.

Test anxiety is a common cause of test underperformance, and it can cause debilitating psychological and physical distress for students unfortunate enough to have it. Some test-takers experience lightheadedness, stomach upset, dizziness, shortness of breath, sweating, diarrhea and even fainting when faced with the prospect of taking an exam. Not to mention the psychological stress they experience thinking about the upcoming test. Expressive writing is a simple way to lower anxiety levels and improve test performance for anxious test-takers.

Why Does Expressive Writing Help With Test Anxiety?

Researchers believe it helps to “reboot” the brain. Too much anxiety decreases the brain’s working memory, because the memory is preoccupied with worry and anxiety about the upcoming test. Essentially, working brain power is diverted to unproductive activities, like fear and worry, and expressive writing helps to clear out the brain so it can process and retrieve information better. This can result in a better test score.

Improve Test Scores With Expressive Writing: The Bottom Line?

Next time you’re anxious about a big test, spend ten minutes before the exam putting your thoughts and fears down on paper. It’ll free up the working portion of the brain you need to get a good test score. It could be the best ten minutes you spend before an exam.

References:

Medical News Today. “Writing About Worries Eases Anxiety, Improves Test Performance”

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