Study: Anxious students can improve grades by writing down fears

By Staff Writer

A new study by University of Chicago researchers reveals that anxious students who write about what causes them fear may improve their test scores. The report, which appears in the journal Science, examined the effects of expressive writing among individuals who are worried or depressed.

The team of researchers recruited 20 college students who were prone to test anxiety and gave them two math exams. On the first test, participants were simply asked to do their best. Before the second exam, the researchers presented two scenarios that were designed to induce stress: 10 students were told that they would receive money if they performed while, and the other 10 were informed that their performance would be a part of a team effort.

Prior to the test, half of the students received 10 minutes to write about their anxious feelings about the exam, while the other half was asked to sit quietly.

The expressive writing group showed a 5 percent improvement from their first tests, while the students who were asked to sit quietly before the exam showed a 12 percent decrease from the original quiz.

Sian Beilock, an associate professor in psychology at the University of Chicago, said that expressive writing can help students relieve fearful thoughts, which can help them use their brain power to focus on the task at hand.

Adolescents who suffer from anxiety disorders or other mental disorders may benefit from wilderness therapy, which aims to provide help for troubled teens.