If someone is writing about a “non-expressive” subject, like last night’s episode of The Simpsons, they’re not worried about doing as well? And are probably used to not doing well?

I think there are flaws in the interpretation of the data here, and even the collection of the data

I don’t know!

I’ve read up a lot about stereotype threat in STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, and there is research that something as simple as having to fill in a “race” or “gender” bubble before starting a STEM-related test can cause members of the stereotypically “not-as-skilled” race or gender to do much more poorly on said test.

Could writing down worries about doing poorly on say a Physics test because one is female, actually cause a student to do more poorly on the test? Or will the act of writing down the anxiety help the student realize that they are in a stereotype threat situation, and that their worries about doing poorly on a test because of gender or race are unfounded, and help them do better on the test? This article suggests the latter would be true, and perhaps it is! I find this very interesting :D

We began by creating a high-stakes testing environment in the laboratory. In study 1, college students (N = 20) took two short tests composed of Gauss’s modular arithmetic. Modular arithmetic is advantageous as a laboratory task because, although it is based on common mathematical procedures, most students have not seen it before; thus, previous task experience is controlled.

I’ll feel a bit silly doing it, but I think that I might tell my students to come 10min early for their next exam.