Good news for nervous test takers: study finds that writing about anxiety improves performance

A recent study done at the University of Chicago found that writing for 10 minutes before taking a test can improve test performance. Associate Professor of Psychology Sian Beilock conducted studies of students who were put into anxiety-inducing test taking situations. One group of students was invited to write before the test; a control group simply waited for the test. Students who wrote about their anxiety in particular before taking the test scored highest.

Even if a teacher does not provide a chance to write before an exam, students can take time to write about their worries and should accordingly improve their performance, Beilock said. "In fact, we think this type of writing will help people perform their best in variety of pressure-filled situations — whether it is a big presentation to a client, a speech to an audience or even a job interview," she explained.

SNL students who are nervous about their performance on an impending paper, assignment, quiz, or work-related activity might consider writing out their nervousness for 10 minutes before the event.

The full article can be found here:

Writing about worries eases anxiety and improves test performance

Students can combat test anxiety and improve performance by writing about their worries immediately before the exam begins, according to a University of Chicago study published Friday in the journal Science.