Somestudentsgetsonervousbeforeatest;theydopoorlyeveniftheyknowthematerial.SianBeilockhasstudiedthesehighlyanxioustest-takers.SianBeilock:“Theystartworryingabouttheconsequences.Theymightevenstartworryingabou

　　Somestudentsgetsonervousbeforeatest;theydopoorlyeveniftheyknowthematerial.SianBeilockhasstudiedthesehighlyanxioustest-takers.

　　SianBeilock:“Theystartworryingabouttheconsequences.Theymightevenstartworryingaboutwhetherthisexamisgoingtopreventthemfromgettingintothecollegetheywant.Andwhenweworry，itactuallyusesupattentionandmemoryresources.Italkaboutitasyourcognitivehorsepowerthatyoucouldotherwisebeusingtofocusontheexam.”

　　ProfessorBeilockandanotherresearcher，GerardoRamirez，havedevelopedapossiblesolution.Justbeforeanexam，highlyanxioustest-takersspendtenminuteswritingabouttheirworriesaboutthetest.

　　SianBeilock:“Whatwethinkhappensiswhenstudentsputitdownonpaper，theythinkabouttheworstthatcouldhappenandtheyreappraisethesituation.Theymightrealizeit’snotasbadastheymightthinkitwasbeforeand，inessence(本质上)，itpreventsthesethoughtsfrompoppingupwhenthey’reactuallytakingatest.”

　　Theresearcherstestedtheideaonagroupoftwentyanxiouscollegestudents.Theygavethemtwoshortmathtests.Afterthefirstone,theyaskedthestudentstoeithersitquietlyorwriteabouttheirfeelingsabouttheupcomingsecondtest.

　　Theresearchersaddedtothepressure.Theytoldthestudentsthatthosewhodidwellonthesecondtestwouldgetmoney.Theyalsotoldthemthattheirperformancewouldaffectotherstudentsaspartofateameffort.

　　ProfessorBeilocksaysthosewhosatquietlyscoredanaverageoftwelvepercentworseonthesecondtest.Butthestudentswhohadwrittenabouttheirfearsimprovedtheirperformancebyanaverageoffivepercent.

　　Next,theresearchersusedyoungerstudentsinabiologyclass.Theytoldthembeforefinalexamseithertowriteabouttheirfeelingsortothinkaboutthingsunrelatedtothetest.

　　PrefessorBeilocksayshighlyanxiousstudentswhodidthewritinggotanaveragegradeof B+，comparedtoaB－forthosewhodidnot.

　　SianBeilock:“Whatweshowedisthatforstudentswhoarehighlytest-anxious，who’ddoneourwritingintervention(排解)，allofasuddentherewasnorelationshipbetweentestanxietyandperformance.Thosestudentsmostlikelytoworrywereperformingjustaswellastheirclassma