The role of expressive writing in math anxiety.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized experimental laboratory trial (by design analogy, non-clinical psychological study)
PubMed 24708352 · doi:10.1037/xap0000013
What was done
Students (N = 80) with varying levels of math anxiety were assigned to either an expressive writing intervention (writing about thoughts and feelings regarding the upcoming test) or a control condition (sitting quietly) before completing difficulty-matched math and word problems.
What was found
The abstract provides no raw numbers, test statistics, or effect sizes. Directionally, high math-anxious students in the control group performed significantly worse on math problems than low math-anxious students. In the expressive writing group, this performance deficit was significantly reduced. Among high math-anxious students, the frequency of words expressing anxiety, cause, and insight in their writing was positively correlated with math performance.
Why it matters
A simple, cost-free pre-testing writing exercise may mitigate the working memory interference caused by math anxiety and improve testing outcomes for anxious students.
Limits
The sample size was modest (N = 80), and specific numerical data, effect sizes, and confidence intervals are omitted from the abstract. The abstract does not specify the academic setting, participant demographics, whether the effect transfers to high-stakes classroom examinations, or how long the intervention's benefits persist.
Cited by
- supports Expressive writing reduces cognitive load.