Mouth watering, minty goodness costs just about $1.25 at our local G2G. Is that pit stop at the convenience store for a pack of gum worth it before your next exam? I would say yes, studies suggest that chewing gum before a test improves your score.
I never really find myself wanting or needing gum, unless I have it on me. When I do, I find myself shoving piece after piece in my mouth as if I’m addicted to it. As I was sitting in my math class the other day, I began to wonder if chewing gum was related to our ability to focus, but even more so on our ability to do well on tests. After doing some research I was able to find that people have the same question in mind as me, because research has been conducted on it already.
According to the article, “Gum-Chewing Improves Test Performance, Study Suggests,” written by Jane Welsh (A LiveScience Staff Writer) published December 16, 2011, a study was conducted on undergrads attending St. Lawrence University. 224 of them were split into three groups; group one chewed gum before and during testing, group two 5 minutes before testing, and group 3 was the control (didn’t chew gum at all). Each group was given multiple tests and the results as followed: the group who chewed gum before testing (group two) scores were higher then the rest. However, “Within the 15-to-20-minute ‘window’ of the effect, the chewing-gum group recalled 25-to-50-percent more items than the controls.” After 20 minutes the gum tended to wear off. This could in largely be due to chance. All the undergrads in group two could just be naturally smarter than the other groups in which their performance on the test would be better with or without chewing gum.
So how and why does this work? Chewing gum can clearly have a positive outcome on us in many cases. According to Welsh, “The chewing motion gets blood flowing to the head.” It increases blood pressure and heart rate during the short 15 to 20 minute time period after chewing the gum. This increase of blood flow coincides with increased performance on tests.
Although this experiment was conducted amongst a large sample size and the way it was conducted seems pretty accurate, there is still room left for some flaws. The undergrads are aware of the experiment which may skew the their test results. The students who are not chewing gum may have it in their head that they are going to do poorly and the students who chewed gum before may have it in their head that they need to do better. The students who chewed gum during the test may not have improved due to the distraction of chewing. The students in group two who preformed better could have also been naturally smarter on average then the other groups and therefore the gum had no effect.
The experiment showed that chewing gum was only effective for a short time during the test, I wonder if that is just because people tend to lose focus and get antsy when sitting taking a test for too long.
I am not trying to say go chew gum before taking your next exam, but it can’t hurt. The people who did not chew gums results did not change but the people who did tests results went up. It is not guaranteed to work, but, it’s worth a try.
Onyper, Serge. “Commentary: Chewing Gum May Improve Test Scores – NBC News.” NBC News. 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
Welsh, Jennifer. “Gum-Chewing Improves Test Performance, Study Suggests.” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 16 Dec. 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
I always chew gum while I’m doing homework or taking a test because I feel it helps me concentrate a lot. I’m not sure if it’s the minty flavor or the consistent chewing motion but it definitely keeps me focused. I’ve also heard that chewing a flavor while studying and then chewing that same flavor while you go to take the test helps you remember the material. Also, an unrelated method to help you retain information is to listen to music while studying and then replaying that same music while taking an assessment. However, this is slightly unrealistic because you’re usually not allowed to play music during tests but it’s still an interesting concept.
This is a great post! I almost always chew gum during tests, I find it to be very relaxing. I’ve also heard that chewing a certain flavor of gum while you study and then chewing the same flavor during the test will help you do better. I haven’t been able to find any reliable articles on the theory, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be worth a shot!
I always need gum when I take a test because I find myself able to focus more when I’m chewing it, but I’ve also heard that playing with an eraser in your hand or something does the same thing as chewing gum. Just having something to distract you helps a lot.