The researchers, led by the psychologist Sian Beilock, demonstrated through a series of experiments with students of different ages that if they put their fears in writing before taking an exam, they reduced their anxiety and left their full capacity "free". brain to tackle the test successfully, obtaining much better scores than those who did not. According to Beilock, pressure situations reduce a function of our brain called working memory , which is critical in many daily tasks since it allows us to retrieve information relevant to the task at hand.
"Despite the fact that people are usually motivated to give their best, pressure-laden situations, such as exams or important presentations , make these people perform below their abilities, " says the researcher, who has published their results in the latest issue of the journal Science . With the method that Beilock and his team have put to the test, "students who tend to feel anxiety during tests are able to overcome their fears, for example the consequences of doing it wrong, and bring out their full potential."
